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Quick Facts
Best Known For
Spanish actress Penelope Cruz is known for her roles in such films as Vanilla Sky, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
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Play NowPenelope Cruz. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 02:55, May 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753.
Penelope Cruz. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753 [Accessed 18 May 2013].
"Penelope Cruz." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 18 2013, 02:55 http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753.
"Penelope Cruz," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753 [accessed May 18, 2013].
"Penelope Cruz," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753 (accessed May 18, 2013).
Penelope Cruz [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 18] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753.
Penelope Cruz, http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753 (last visited May 18, 2013).
Penelope Cruz. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/penelope-cruz-9262753. Accessed May 18, 2013.
Synopsis
Born in Spain in 1974, actress Penelope Cruz studied classical ballet at a young age and later moved to Hollywood, California, to pursue acting. She soon landed roles opposite the likes of Matt Damon and Tom Cruise. She won an Academy Award—becoming the first Spanish actress to do so—for her performance in the film Vicky Christina Barcelona. Cruz married her Vicky Cristina Barcelona co-star,
Spanish actor Javier Bardem, in 2010.
Early Life
Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born on April 28, 1974, in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain. Cruz was born as the eldest of three and a natural performer; her father, Eduardo, worked as a car mechanic, and her mother, Encarna, was a hairdresser. As a child, Cruz amused her family by re-enacting television commercials. Though a natural actress, she took up dance for her choice of performance arts. She studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory, and then moved to New York to dance under a series of prominent performers.
When she was 15 years old, Cruz found her true vocation after beating out 300 other girls at a talent agency competition. Following this early success, she landed several roles as a dancer for music videos, as well as a gig hosting Spanish TV's La Quinta Marcha. Additionally, Cruz explored her more sensual side in the French erotic TV series Serie Rose.
Spanish Cinema
Penelope Cruz made her film debut in 1992, in the dark film Jamón Jamón. The film's director, who had been unable to cast Cruz as the lead in another film because of her young age, waited until she was old enough for his next film. Her performance earned her nominations for both the Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award and the Goya Award (Spain's Academy Award) for best lead actress. A year later, Cruz played Luz in The Age of Beauty (1992). The film won an Oscar (best foreign language film), virtually swept the Goya Awards and earned Cruz the Spanish Actors Union Award for best supporting performance.
With an impressive apprenticeship to the craft, Cruz earned her place in Spanish cinema as a leading lady. Her resumé continued to grow over the following few years, clocking up three or four films each year. In 1997, Cruz took the role of Isabel Plaza Caballero in Carne Tremula—marking the first time that she worked with internationally renowned director Pedro Almodóvar, who, in turn, became a lifelong friend, as well as her vehicle for global fame. Cruz garnered further critical recognition for her performance in the film.
Two years later, in 1999, Cruz landed a role in another film directed by Almodóvar, Todo Sobre Mi Madre, which went on to win Oscar and a BAFTA (best foreign language film) awards. With a series of well-respected movies under her belt, by this time, Cruz was in demand on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hollywood Success
At the age of 25, Cruz made the bold decision to move to Hollywood, California.
profile name: Penelope Cruz profile occupation:
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