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Penelope Cruz Profile |
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Birth Date: April 28, 1974
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Birth Place: Madrid, Spain
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Birth Name: Penelope Cruz Sanchez
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Height: 5'5½"
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Biography |
Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born in Madrid, Spain, on April,
28, 1974. Raised along with brother Eduardo and sister
Monica, Penelope was always fond of the arts, particularly
ballet and jazz. Her passion for dance led to her decision
to abandon traditional schooling, focusing her time and
energy instead on the graceful art of ballet.
"Pe," as she is nicknamed, may not have her high school
diploma, but she is very much educated. Before making the
transition to acting, Penelope had completed nine years of
classical ballet training, three years of Spanish ballet
training and four years of theater at Cristina Rota's New
York school.
Penelope Cruz's her big break in Spanish film came in 1992's
Jamon, jamon. 1992 also witnessed her first foray onto
international screens, with her role in Belle epoque -- a
massive success that garnered eight Goya Awards (Spanish
Oscars), as well as an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It was
with Belle epoque that Penelope's star power received its
first worldwide exposure.
After starring in other Spanish films such as Alegre ma non
troppo (1994) and La Celestina (1996), Penelope resurfaced
in America again in Abre los ojos (a.k.a. Open Your Eyes),
which screened at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Penelope
took on a few English-language films in the late '90s, but
it was a production from her native land that finally
launched her into the spotlight.
Pedro Almodvar's Todo sobre mi madre (a.k.a. All About My
Mother) (1999) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave
reviews, then went on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign
Film. Penelope stood out in this project as a pregnant nun,
and shortly thereafter made her American film debut, Woman
on Top (2000).
Next Penelope starred alongside Matt Damon in All the Pretty
Horses (2000). This movie flopped, but that didn't hinder
Penelope's rise to fame.
2001's Blow, starring Johnny Depp, wasn't a commercial hit,
but both projects gave Penelope the visibility she needed at
the time. 2001's Captain Corelli's Mandolin was panned by
critics, but it was her role in Vanilla Sky that same year
that catapulted her into the spotlight.
Vanilla Sky was an American adaptation of 1997's Abre los
ojos, and while Penelope played the same character, Tom
Cruise replaced the Spanish leading man. By the time the
film was released, word had spread that Tom and Penelope
were an item, hot off the heels of Tom's separation from
Nicole Kidman.
2003 saw Penelope alongside Halle Berry in Gothika and a
host of talent that should have known better in Bob Dylan's
vanity-disaster, Masked and Anonymous.
In 2004, Penelope took on roles in Chazz Palminteri's Noel
and with Charlize Theron in Head in the Clouds. She was also
cast opposite Matthew McConaughey (one of her many co-stars
turned boyfriends) in Sahara (2005).
In 2005, she can add Chromophobia, Bandidas (with Salma
Hayek) and Tu vida en 65 minutos to her resume. She was also
cast in Pedro Almodvar's Volver (2006).
Extremely active in social causes, Penelope has volunteered
for NGOs overseas and donated her proceedings from certain
films to charities. She also likes to keep stray cats.
On the romantic front, Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz broke up
in March 2004. |
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Other
Information |
After filming All the Pretty Horses (2000), she became a
vegetarian.
It was rumored that she donated her entire The Hi-Lo Country
(1998) salary to the Mother Teresa's children's sanctuary in
Calcutta after spending a week there volunteering. This was
later denounced by Cruz, according to a Reuters news article
in 2001.
Daughter of Eduardo (merchant) and Encarna (hairdresser).
Brother, Eduardo.
Academic curriculum: Finished 2º B.U.P. (2nd. year of
secondary school). Had 4 years of dance performance with
Cristina Rota, several dance courses at New York, 9 years of
classic ballet at the Conservatorio Nacional and 3 years of
Spanish ballet with Ángela Garrido. Also had Jazz Dance
course with Raúl Caballero.
Volunteered in Uganda for 2 months in 1997 with then
boyfriend Faiz Ahmad.
She founded a non-government organisation (NGO) called
Sabera Foundation. Together with Nacho Cano and other
Spanish entertainers, they have set up a home, a school and
a clinic for homeless girls and people suffering from
tuberculosis in Calcutta. Two documentary programs were made
for Spanish TV on this project. Unfortunately differences of
opinion caused a collapse in the project and Sabera
Foundation tragically no longer exists.
Dated Tom Cruise. [2001-January 2004]
She was named after the song "Penélope" by Joan Manuel
Serrat.
Her sister 'Monica Cruz' is now a TV star in Spain. She
starred in "Paso adelante, Un" (2002) as a young dancer with
a famous aunt.
Voted the 7th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian
Empire Magazine September 2002.
Lived with Nacho Cano, Spanish musician, part of the trio
(famous in Spain) called "Mecano", a pop music group.
Penelope appeared in one of the band's video-clips "la
Fuerza del Destino" and that's where her romance with one of
the two Cano brothers that form part of the group along with
the singer Ana Torroja begun.
Best friends with actresses Goya Toledo and Salma Hayek.
Ranked #23 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the
World" (2002).
Likes to keep stray cats.
Learned Italian because she wanted her part in the movie Non
ti muovere (2004) really badly. It paid off and she went on
to win the Italian equivalent of the Oscars for Best
Actress.
Speaks four languages: Spanish, Italian, French and English.
Was accompanied by Matthew McConaughey to the Grammy Awards
in 2005. The couple met on the set of Sahara (2005).
Shares her birthday with Jessica Alba & Jay Leno
Spanish citizen.
Two of her boyfriends have been named "Sexiest Man Alive" by
People Magazine: Tom Cruise (in 1990) and Matthew
McConaughey (in 2005).
Sister of 'Monica Cruz'
Bigas Luna was determined to have her starring as the lead
character in the torrid "Las edades de Lulú", but Penélope
was only 14. They agreed that she was too young for the role
and Francesca Neri was cast instead. Two years later, Luna's
fixation with Cruz resulted in her breakthrough performance
in "Jamón, jamón", her first film, (in?)famous for her
somewhat erotic scenes. They eventually collaborated again
in "Volavérunt" (1999).
Claims that Victoria Abril's powerful performance in Pedro
Almodóvar's "Átame! (Tie me up, tie me down!)" (1989)
determined her to become an actress. |
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