Biography of Penelope Cruz
In 2011, Penelope Cruz received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Spanish actress is considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. But Penelope has earned love and recognition not just for her looks, but also for her exceptional dramatic talent and ability to bring a wide range of characters to life on screen.
Childhood
Penélope Cruz was born on April 28, 1974. She grew up in a Madrid suburb. Her father Eduardo was an entrepreneur, and her mother Encarna owned a small hair salon. Penélope is the eldest of three children.At 12, she saw a Lancôme Trésor perfume ad featuring the stunning Isabella Rossellini, shot by Peter Lindbergh. She begged her father for the perfume and was thrilled when she got that coveted bottle. Years later, she'd become a famous actress, and Lancôme would ask her to become the face of the brand.

Beginning
At 14, Penelope was blown away by Pedro Almodóvar's film "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" She was so moved that she actually looked up the director's address in the phone book and showed up at his house. The director heard her out and told her he'd be happy to cast her in one of his films once she became an actress. That's when Penelope began hunting for agents and going to auditions. Soon she landed a spot in a Mecano music video, and in the early '90s, she started hosting a teen show, staying until 1996.

In 1995, the Spanish actress set out to conquer America. She couldn't speak a word of English, but she was determined to succeed.
Early Success in Hollywood
After settling in Greenwich Village, the famous neighborhood beloved by artists and bohemians, she quickly made friends. She enrolled in Christina Roth's dance studio and also studied English and acting.

By the early 2000s, she'd appeared in several films but only gained recognition as a serious dramatic actress after the 1999 release of "All About My Mother." The Pedro Almodóvar film also starred Marisa Paredes and Cecilia Roth. The movie won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the 1999 season. This marked the moment when the beautiful Spaniard's star career truly took off.

Penélope Cruz's Best Roles
In 2001, two films starring the brilliant Penélope Cruz hit theaters, instantly becoming box office successes and launching the actress into Hollywood stardom. Cameron Crowe's "Vanilla Sky" was a commercial hit, though film buffs still swear by the Spanish original "Open Your Eyes." In this haunting allegorical drama, Penélope played Sofia opposite Tom Cruise.

The dramatic film "Don't Move" was released in 2004. Audiences used to seeing the actress dazzle with her talent and stunning beauty were about to be shocked.


In 2012, Penélope reunited with brilliant Italian filmmaker Sergio Castellitto. In the drama "Twice Born," she played Gemma, a woman recounting her life story and extraordinary love. The story unfolds against the brutal backdrop of the Serbian civil war. Emilie Hirsch and the legendary Jane Birkin also starred in the film.
Oscar
After serving as muse to directors Pedro Almodóvar and Sergio Castellitto, the stunning Penélope Cruz had always dreamed of working with Woody Allen. In interviews, the actress often said she knows how to dream big, and she literally "dreamed up" her role in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Allen himself said he couldn't imagine anyone else playing the volatile María Elena.The Beautiful Pirate and Other Roles
In 2011, Cruz brought sultry charm to "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" as Angelica, the love interest of roguish Jack Sparrow.

That same year, Cruz took the lead in Pedro Almodóvar's "Parallel Mothers" opposite Milena Smit. The film follows two women who give birth on the same day but couldn't be more different: Cruz plays an established photographer, while Smit portrays a teenage rape victim. The unlikely pair form a bond that changes both their lives forever. The performance earned Penelope an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, though Jessica Chastain ultimately won for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."...I found this role incredibly funny because I played a complete wild psychopath. She's desperately lonely because she's absolutely unbearable. But it was fun to play her – I had carte blanche from our directors for my own interpretation of the character.

Penélope Cruz's Personal Life
Over the years, the star has been linked to Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage, as well as Matthew McConaughey and Josh Hartnett. But these on-set romances fizzled out as quickly as they sparked.From the actress's interviews, it's clear she found true happiness with Javier Bardem – her soulmate. They first met on the set of "Jamón Jamón," where they played lovers. Javier was completely smitten with the young beauty, but at the time, Penélope was laser-focused on her career and ready to conquer Hollywood.


Penélope Cruz Now
The actress continues to star in both Spanish films, such as the 2022 drama "On the Fringe," nominated for the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, and Hollywood movies, like the action film "The 355," which earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination, or the biographical drama with Adam Driver "Ferrari," released in 2023 and also nominated for the Golden Lion.