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Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born April 28,
1974), better known as Penélope Cruz (colloquially shortened to Pe), is
a Spanish actress. Originally a dancer, she soon moved into Spanish
television, and since then she has appeared in a string of films, in
Spanish, English, French and other languages, with relative success and
some awards.
****
Born: April 28, 1974
Madrid, Spain
Occupation: Actress
****
Biography
Early life
Cruz was born in Madrid and was named after
a song by Joan Manuel Serrat. Her parents are Eduardo Cruz, a retailer,
and Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser. She was a dancer as a child and
young teen. She completed 2º B.U.P. (2nd year of secondary school), but
dropped out of school at the age of 15 after she beat more than 300
other girls at a talent agency audition. She received nine years of
classic ballet training at the Conservatorio Nacional in Madrid, four
years of dance performance with several dance courses at the Cristina
Rota School in New York, and three years of Spanish Ballet with Ángela
Garrido. She also had jazz dance courses with Raúl Caballero.
Career
Cruz first achieved fame when she appeared
in the video clip La fuerza del destino for the Spanish synthpop group
Mecano. She later started a relationship with Nacho Cano, a member of
the group.
She was a TV presenter for the
teen-oriented program La Quinta Marcha.
Cruz's first major films were Jamón, Jamón
and Belle Epoque, a film which won an Academy Award for Foreign Language
Film.
In 1997, she starred as Sofía alongside
Eduardo Noriega in Abre los Ojos, directed by Alejandro Amenábar, and in
2000 she appeared with Matt Damon in All the Pretty Horses. In 1999, she
appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's Todo sobre mi madre, which won an Academy
Award for Foreign Language Film.
In early 2001, she appeared in the film
Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise, which sparked a supposed three-year
relationship with the actor. Vanilla Sky was the Hollywood remake of
Abre los Ojos ("Open Your Eyes"), and she played the same part in both
films.
Personal life
Cruz has a younger brother Eduardo, who is
a singer, and a younger sister Mónica Cruz, who closely resembles her: a
similarity exploited for some Spanish TV ads. In the 2000s, Mónica left
her dancing career and achieved note on her own in the youth-oriented TV
series Un Paso Adelante. They are also distant cousins of Alexandra
Cruz.
She has been a vegetarian since 2000.
She speaks four languages: Spanish,
Italian, French and English. She learned Italian because she wanted a
part in the 2004 movie Non ti muovere, and she went on to win the
Italian equivalent of the Oscars for Best Actress.
She has donated a considerable amount of
money and time to charity. In 1997 she volunteered in Uganda for two
months.
After appearing in 2001 in the film Vanilla
Sky with Tom Cruise, they supposedly had a three year relationship.
Cruise and Cruz split in January 2004.
After filming Sahara in February 2005, she
started dating actor Matthew McConaughey. In May 2006, they released a
joint statement to People, saying that they "have decided to take time
off as a couple. Due to busy work schedules and so much time apart, they
mutually decided four weeks ago that separating was the best thing to do
at this time." [1]
Spanish press has been linking Cruz to
Academy Award winner Adrien Brody, whom she co-stars in the upcoming
film Manolete. Cruz herself has denied the rumors.
Selected filmography
Passion India (announced) (2006)
(announced)
The Loop (announced) (2006) (announced)
The Good Night (2006) (post-production)
Manolete (2006)
Volver (2006) directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Bandidas (2006) Maria
Chromophobia (2006) Gloria
Sahara (2005)
Noel (2004)
Don't Move (2004)
Head in the Clouds (2004)
Gothika (2003)
Fanfan la tulipe (2003)
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
Blow (2001)
Woman On Top (2000)
All the Pretty Horses (1999)
Open Your Eyes (Abre los ojos) (1997)
Belle Epoque (1992) Luz (aka Belle époque
(France) aka The Age of Beauty)
Jamón, jamón (1992)
Accolades
ALMA Awards
2002 Nominated ALMA Award Outstanding
Actress in a Motion Picture for: Vanilla Sky (2001)
1999 Nominated ALMA Award Outstanding
Actress in a Feature Film for: The Hi-Lo Country (1998)
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
2001 Nominated Blockbuster Entertainment
Award Favorite Actress - Drama/Romance for: All the Pretty Horses (2000)
Cannes Film Festival
2006 Won Best Actress for: Volver (2006)
David di Donatello Awards
2004 Won David Best Actress (Migliore
Attrice Protagonista) for: Non ti muovere (2004)
European Film Awards
2004 Won Audience Award Best Actress for:
Non ti muovere (2004)
2004 Nominated European Film Award Best
Actress for: Non ti muovere (2004)
2003 Nominated Audience Award Best Actress
for: Fanfan la tulipe (2003)
2001 Nominated Audience Award Best Actress
for: Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
1999 Nominated European Film Award Best
Actress for: La Niña de tus ojos (1998)
Fotogramas de Plata
1999 Won Fotogramas de Plata Best Movie
Actress (Mejor Actriz de Cine)
Goya Awards
2005 Nominated Goya Best Lead Actress
(Mejor Actriz Principal) for: Non ti muovere (2004)
1999 Won Goya Best Lead Actress (Mejor
Actriz Principal) for: La Niña de tus ojos (1998)
1993 Nominated Goya Best Lead Actress
(Mejor Actriz Principal) for: Jamón, jamón (1992)
Imagen Foundation Awards
2003 - Creative Achievement Award
MTV Movie Awards
2002 Nominated MTV Movie Award Breakthrough
Female Performance for: Blow (2001)
Ondas Awards
1993 Won Film Award Best Acting (Mejor
Interpretación) Tied with Javier Bardem (No award category given
officially).
Peñíscola Comedy Film Festival
1995 Won Best Actress for: Todo es mentira
(1994)
Razzie Awards
2002 Nominated Razzie Award Worst Actress
for: Blow (2001)
Also for Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
and Vanilla Sky (2001).
Spanish Actors Union
1999 Won Award of the Spanish Actors Union
Film: Lead Performance (Protagonista Cine) for: La Niña de tus ojos
(1998)
1998 Nominated Award of the Spanish Actors
Union Film: Performance in a Minor Role (Reparto Cine) for: Carne
trémula (1997)
1993 Won Award of the Spanish Actors Union
Film: Supporting Performance (Secundario Cine) for: Belle epoque (1992)
1993 Nominated Newcomer Award for: Jamón,
jamón (1992)
****
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URL of Original Article:
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Date Article Copied:
October 2006
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