Penelope Cruz

Personal details

Birth name: Penelope Cruz Sanchez
Born on: April 28, 1974 (1974-04-28) (age 33) Madrid, Spain
Height: 5' 6"
Best Known As: Star of the film Woman on Top
Occupation: Actor
Active:'90s-2000s
Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
Career Highlights: All about My Mother, Live Flesh, Open Your Eyes
First Major Screen Credit: Belle Époque (1992)

Penelope Cruz’s Professional life:

This actress known as Penelope Cruz is a Golden Globe- and Academy Award-nominated Spanish actress. She is a technically a dancer who made a wise decision of moving to Spanish television, and since then she has appeared in a string of films, in Spanish, English, French and Italian.

Awards and nominations

Academy awards:

2007 Nominated Academy Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for: Volver (2006) - ALMA Awards

1999 Nominated ALMA Award Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film for: The Hi-Lo Country (1998)

2002 Nominated ALMA Award Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for: Vanilla Sky (2001)

BAFTA Awards

2007 Nominated BAFTA Award Best Actress in a Leading Role for: Volver (2006)

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

• 2001 Nominated Blockbuster Entertainment Award Favorite Actress - Drama/Romance for: All the Pretty Horses (2000)
• 2006 Won Best Actress for: Volver (2006)
• 2004 Won David Best Actress (Migliore Attrice Protagonista) for: Non ti muovere (2004)

European Film Awards

• 1999 Nominated European Film Award Best Actress for: La Niña de tus ojos (1998)
• 2001 Nominated Audience Award Best Actress for: Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
• 2003 Nominated Audience Award Best Actress for: Fanfan la tulipe (2003)
• 2004 Nominated European Film Award Best Actress for: Non ti muovere (2004
• 2004 Won Audience Award Best Actress for: Non ti muovere (2004)
• 2006 Won European Film Award Best Actress for: Volver (2006)

Golden Globe Awards

• 2007 Nominated Golden Globe Best Actress in a Dramatic Role for: Volver (2006)

Penelope Cruz’s Family background:

Her first name is being inspired by a song which was sung by Joan Manuel Serrat. Her father Eduardo was a retailer, her mother, Encarna, who was a hairdressers and the family was living in the working-class suburb of Alcobendas. This place was located about five kilometers north of Madrid. This actress has one younger sister, Monica, who looks quite similar to her and younger bother, named after his father.

Penelope Cruz’s childhood:

Penelope was a born star. She had immense inborn talent and was labeled to be a natural performer. She used to imitate the TV ads as soon as she learnt how to walk. At the age of 4 she used to dance gracefully and since then dance has captured her imagination and dominated her life. At the age of 9, she got into learning classical dance at Spain's National Conservatory.

She also got into three years of ballet with Angela Garrido, and a period of jazz dance with Raul Caballero. She dropped out of secondary education early. When she was barely 15 she took the first place in a 300-strong competition at an agency audition and became a part-time fashion model. After Pursuing a full fledged drama studies in Madrid, she then started appearing in music videos.

Penelope Cruz acted in movies such as:

• 1992 Jamón, jamón (Ham, Ham)
• (All About My Mother)
• 2000 All the Pretty Horses
• 2000 Woman on Top
• 2001 Vanilla Sky
• 2003 Fanfan la tulipe
• 2003 Gothika
• muovere (Don't Move)
• 2004 Noel
• 2005 Sahara
• 2006 Bandidas
• 2007 Manolete
• 2007 The Good Night
• 2007 The Loop
• 2007 Passion India

Quoted by Penelope Cruz:

"The most difficult thing in the world is to start a career known only for your looks, and then to try to become a serious actress. No one will take you seriously once you are known as the pretty woman." -Penelope Cruz