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Penelope Cruz

Penelope CruzAKA Penélope Cruz Sánchez

Born: 28-Apr-1974
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain

Gender: Female
Religion: Buddhist [1]
Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor

Nationality: Spain
Executive summary: Woman On Top

Penelope Cruz was working regularly on Spanish TV by her mid-teens, and dropped out of high school to pursue her career. Her first film was the 1992 Spanish sex comedy Jamón, Jamón (aka Salami, Salami, and available on video as A Tale of Ham and Passion). She went on to star in the Spanish films Belle Epoque (1993) and Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother, 1999) both of which won Oscars as Best Foreign Language Films.

Cruz is the first Spanish actress to attain enduring stardom in America, although so far her American fame is based mostly on a widely-publicized early-00s affair with her Vanilla Sky co-star, Tom Cruise. Vanilla Sky was a remake of Cruz's 1997 Spanish film Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). While dating Cruise, Cruz quit smoking at his insistence. She also sued the Australian women's magazine New Idea, which had alleged that Cruz had cheated on Cruise with an un-named Spanish actor. The matter was settled with $5,000 and an apology from the magazine.

Early in her career she volunteered (for one week) at Mother Teresa's shanty-like hospital in Calcutta.


[1] Stephen Galloway, Interview, December 2000. When asked by Galloway if she were religious, her answer was: "No, I do not call myself anything. I was raised as a Catholic, but I believe in God in my own way and I pray in my own way and I respect all kinds of philosophies. The one philosophy or religion that I find I am most close to is the Buddhist one. I think it is the one that respects the others and the one that doesn't say that this is the only way. I think happiness is the moment when -- if you've forgotten those little things -- they suddenly come back into focus for you."

Father: Eduardo Cruz (auto mechanic, d. 18-Jun-2015)
Mother: Encarna Sánchez (hairdresser)
Brother: Eduardo Cruz Jr. (b. 1985)
Sister:
Mónica Cruz (b. 16-Mar-1977)
Boyfriend: Faiz Ahmad (not the poet)
Boyfriend: Nacho Cano (Spanish pop musician, together early 1990s)
Boyfriend: Tom Cruise (together 2001-04)
Boyfriend: Matthew McConaughey (together 2004)
Boyfriend: Josh Hartnett (together 2007)
Husband: Javier Bardem (together since 2007, m. Jul-2010, two children)
Son: Leonardo (b. 22-Jan-2011)
Daughter: Luna Encinas Cruz (b. 22-Jul-2013)

    Oscar for Best Supporting Actress 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
    Hollywood Walk of Fame 2011 (6834 Hollywood Blvd.)
    Afghanistan World Foundation Celebrity Committee
    Endorsement of Coca-Cola 2003
    Endorsement of L'Oreal 2006
    Wedding: Francois-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek (2009)
    Risk Factors: Vegetarian, Former Smoker

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Everybody Knows (8-May-2018)
    Murder on the Orient Express (3-Nov-2017)
    Loving Pablo (6-Sep-2017)
    The Brothers Grimsby (24-Feb-2016)
    Zoolander 2 (4-Feb-2016)
    The Counselor (25-Oct-2013)
    I'm So Excited (8-Mar-2013)
    Twice Born (13-Sep-2012)
    Woody Allen: A Documentary (30-May-2012) · Herself
    To Rome with Love (20-Apr-2012) · Anna
    Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (11-May-2011) · Angelica
    Sex and the City 2 (27-May-2010) · Carmen Garcia Carrion
    Nine (3-Dec-2009)
    G-Force (23-Jul-2009) · Juarez [VOICE]
    Broken Embraces (17-Mar-2009) · Lena
    A Matador's Mistress (6-Sep-2008)
    Vicky Cristina Barcelona (17-May-2008)
    Elegy (10-Feb-2008) · Consuela Castillo
    The Good Night (25-Jan-2007) · Anna
    Volver (10-Mar-2006)
    Bandidas (18-Jan-2006)
    Chromophobia (21-May-2005)
    Sahara (24-Mar-2005) · Eva Rojas
    Head in the Clouds (12-Sep-2004) · Mia
    Noel (12-Sep-2004)
    Don't Move (12-Mar-2004)
    Gothika (13-Nov-2003) · Chloe Sava
    Fanfan la tulipe (14-May-2003)
    Masked and Anonymous (22-Jan-2003) · Pagan Lace
    Waking Up in Reno (25-Oct-2002)
    Paul McCartney: Back in the US (2002) · Herself
    Vanilla Sky (10-Dec-2001) · Sofia Serrano
    Don't Tempt Me (28-Nov-2001) · Carmen Ramos
    America: A Tribute to Heroes (21-Sep-2001) · Herself
    Captain Corelli's Mandolin (19-Apr-2001) · Pelagia
    Blow (29-Mar-2001)
    All the Pretty Horses (11-Dec-2000) · Alejandra
    Woman on Top (24-Jun-2000)
    Volavérunt (1-Oct-1999)
    All About My Mother (8-Apr-1999)
    The Hi Lo Country (30-Dec-1998)
    The Girl of Your Dreams (13-Nov-1998)
    Talk of Angels (30-Oct-1998) · Pilar
    The Man with Rain in His Shoes (30-Aug-1998) · Louise
    Open Your Eyes (19-Dec-1997)
    Live Flesh (12-Oct-1997) · Isabel, Victor's Mother
    Not Love, Just Frenzy (15-Nov-1996)
    La Celestina (8-Nov-1996)
    Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health (1996)
    Todo es mentira (14-Oct-1994)
    Alegre ma non troppo (15-Apr-1994)
    Belle Epoque (4-Dec-1992)
    Framed (27-Nov-1992)
    Jamón, jamón (4-Sep-1992)


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