Penelope Cruz

Charming, enthralling, fascinating, and mesmerizing this is how the beautiful Penelope Cruz can be described. She can spellbind her audience without trying. Penelope Cruz is a natural beauty who likes act with passion and follow her ethical scruples. Even her critics take her very seriously. The Spanish beauty and famous Hollywood actress has a number of acclaimed films behind her. What she believes in is that a woman who is taken as pretty woman only can never achieve the reputation of being a serious actress. What the greatest thing she has learnt in Hollywood is to say “No” to temptations.

Childhood

Penelope Cruz was born on April 28, 1974 to a family in which her father Eduardo was a merchant and mother, a hairdresser in Madrid, Spain. Penelope had the company of her sister, Monica (born in 1977), a professional flamenco dancer and Spanish actor and younger brother, Eduardo Jr. (born in 1985). She was named in memory of a Joan Manuel Serrat song.

Penelope but didn't finish high school as she chose to concentrate more on ballet and jazz. Penelope Cruz was trained in classical ballet for nine years at the National Conservatory in Madrid, Spain. She spent four years under the direction of Cristina Rota for learning theatre and three years for learning Spanish ballet from Ángela Garrido. Though she does not have any high school diploma her dance and theatre training has been very impressive.

Adulthood

Penelope Cruz has been romantically linked with a few famous and hottest stars of Hollywood which paid her the dividend.

Career and Achievements

The Madonna of Madrid, Penelope Cruz started her acting career with Spanish TV shows, films and music videos. Her film acting foundation laid in Spain with some of highly acclaimed films for which she received a lot of appreciation and recognition. She played roles in Jamón, jamón (1992), Belle epoque (1992), El Laberinto griego (1993), La Ribelle (1993), Per amore, solo per amore (1993), Alegre ma non troppo (1994) and many others. Thereafter, she moved to Hollywood to appear in films like Framed (1992), The Man with Rain in His Shoes (1998), Talk of Angels (1998), The Hi-Lo Country (1998), and Woman on Top (2000). The Philanthropic Penelope Cruz donated her entire salary she received for doing “Hi-Lo country” to Mother Teresa's children's sanctuary in Calcutta. Interestingly Penelope Cruz turned vegetarian after her role as Matt Damon's love interest, Alejandra de la Rocha, in All the Pretty Horses (2000).

Penelope Cruz emerged as the Leading lady with her toil in the Spanish films. She received several prestigious awards which enhanced her popularity world wide.

Penelope’s appearance in Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001) made her stand beside leading man Nicolas Cage. Other films followed were Sin noticias de Dios (2001), and Vanilla Sky (2001) starring Tom Cruise, whom she dated for several years.  Some more films which established her as a good actress are Masked and Anonymous (2003), Fanfan la tulipe (2003).