By: Nora Cifuentes / EFE / Reports.
Penélope Cruz Sánchez was born on April 28, 1974 in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain. She is the eldest of the three children of Eduardo Cruz and María de la Encarnación Sánchez: her sister Mónica Cruz is also an actress, and her brother Eduardo Cruz is a singer. In addition, she has one more sister on her father’s side named Salma.
Although she liked acting from a very young age, she had a definitive crush on this profession at the age of 15, when she saw the movie ‘Atame!’ (1989) by Pedro Almodóvar. And from that moment on, her dream was to become an actress to work with the famous director.
“When I insisted on what I wanted to do, at least they didn’t laugh at me. And that was already a lot! “He said in an interview with Elle, about the support of his parents and his environment: “Try it,” they told him, although suggesting that he have “a plan B” in addition to that dream.
A dream that became a goal, studying classical ballet and enrolling in the Cristina Rota School in Madrid to perfect herself as an actress. In addition, she took her first steps acting in the video clip for ‘La Fuerza del Destino’ by Mecano.
Her first film was ‘Jamón, jamón’ (1992), which made her become a young sex symbol, and where she met the man who would later become her husband, the actor Javier Bardem, although at that time neither of them imagined their future.
Other of his first roles were: ‘Belle Époque’ (1992), ‘The Greek Labyrinth’ (1993), ‘Everything is a Lie’ (1994), ‘La Celestina’ (1995) and ‘Love Seriously Harms Health’ ( nineteen ninety five). But the film that established her as an actress was ‘Open Your Eyes’, by Alejandro Amenábar, another of the most important directors on the Spanish scene, with which Penelope won a Goya award.
In 1997 he managed to fulfill his dream, working with Pedro Almodóvar in ‘Carne trémula’. That would not be the last time he collaborated with the filmmaker, as he has also worked on the films ‘All About My Mother’ (1999), ‘Volver’ (2006), ‘Broken Embraces’ (2009), ‘The Lovers’ passengers’ (2013), ‘Pain and Glory’ (2019) and ‘Parallel Mothers’ (2021).
Rise to international fame.
Although the first role with which he attracted attention abroad was for ‘The Girl in Your Eyes’ (1998), by Fernando Trueba, it was for one of these films with Almodóvar that his name began to be heard in the United States. when ‘All About My Mother’ won the Oscar for best foreign film.
The success of ‘All About My Mother’ opened the doors of Hollywood to Penélope Cruz, making her debut there with ‘Women on Top’ (2000). Other of her first roles in American territory were ‘Vanilla Sky’ (2001), ‘Blow’ (2001) or ‘Gothika’ (2003).
But it was her performance in ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ (2008) by Woody Allen that ended up establishing her as an actress internationally, since it earned her her first Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first Spanish actress to obtain it.
Since then, his filmography has continued to grow: ‘Nine’ (2009), ‘Sex and the City 2’ (2010), ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (2011), ‘To Rome with Love’ (2012) , ‘The Counselor’ (2013), ‘The Queen of Spain’ (2016), ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017) or ‘The 355’ (2022).
His latest film released, ‘Ferrari’, is a biopic that tells the story of the founder of the most famous automobile company in the world. Penelope plays Laura, the wife of the protagonist Enzo Ferrari.
But, in addition, she has just released an advertisement for Chanel in which she shares the spotlight with Brad Pitt himself: “I was very excited to see it projected during the show,” she confessed to Vanity Fair about this work.
And regarding the choice of both as actors for the commercial, the actress believes that “Today we may be emerging from a beauty dictatorship” because “perhaps, in another historical moment, the Chanel short would have had two twenty-somethings as protagonists.”
Without fear of candles.
Regarding her personal life, Penélope Cruz had a romance with the musician Nacho Cano in 1991, with whom she spent 6 years. She was later linked to Gigi Sarasola, with whom she was for a few months, and to Matt Damon, but it was not confirmed.
However, the relationship she shared with Tom Cruise himself, whom she met in ‘Vanilla Sky’ (2001), is known. They broke up in 2003. After that, Penelope dated Matthew McConaughey.
But the love of her life, or at least for the moment (remember that the actress told Le Figaro that ‘no love is perfect’, even if it was according to her short film for Chanel), is none other than Javier Bardem. He and Cruz met again in ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ (2008).
The couple has met more times in the movies over time, both before dating and during their relationship, in ‘Carne Trémula’ (1997), ‘No news from God’ (2001), ‘The Counselor’ (2013) , ‘Loving Pablo’ (2017) and ‘Everyone knows it (2018).
They married in 2010 and have two children together, Leo and Luna, whom they keep protected from the public eye: “it is up to them to decide if they are going to have more exposed work or not,” the actress told Elle, “when be ready”.
For her, motherhood is something very important, and it was like that from a very young age: “I tried to adopt by myself when I was 20 during a trip to India, but it couldn’t happen,” she confessed. For this reason, she and Bardem try to “be totally present in the upbringing” of their children.
Because Penelope is not “worried” about turning 50: “It’s something huge and beautiful, and I really want to celebrate it with all my loved ones,” she told Elle. And, surely, as a gift she will continue to fulfill her dreams: “being a director,” as she told Vanity Fair, is one of them. And, surely, one of the many achievements that are to come.
#Penélope #Cruz #Hispanic #queen #Hollywood