Penélope Cruz
Encyclopedia
Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born April 28, 1974) is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón
(1992), to critical acclaim. Her subsequent roles in the 1990s and 2000s included Open Your Eyes (1997), The Hi-Lo Country
(1999), The Girl of Your Dreams (2000) and Woman on Top
(2000). Cruz achieved recognition for her lead roles in Vanilla Sky
and Blow
. Both films were released in 2001 and were commercially successful worldwide.
In the 2000s she has appeared in films from a wide range of genres, including the comedy Waking Up in Reno
(2002), the thriller Gothika
(2003), the Christmas movie Noel
(2004), the action adventure Sahara
(2005), the animated G-Force
and the musical drama Nine
. Her most notable films to date are Volver
(2006), for which she earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(2008), for which she received an Academy Award. She was the first Spanish actress in history to receive an Academy Award and the first Spanish actress to receive a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
Cruz has modeled for companies such as Mango
, Ralph Lauren
and L'Oréal
. Penélope and her younger sister Mónica Cruz
have designed items for Mango. She has donated both her time and money to charities. Cruz has volunteered in Uganda
and India
, where she spent one week working for Mother Teresa
; she donated her salary from The Hi-Lo Country to help fund the late nun's mission.
, Community of Madrid, Spain, the daughter of Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser and personal manager, and Eduardo Cruz, a retailer and auto mechanic. She was raised Roman Catholic. Throughout her childhood, Cruz lived in Alcobendas, a working-class town, although she spent "a lot" of time at her grandmother's apartment. Cruz is the oldest of three siblings; she has a younger brother, Eduardo, who is a singer, and a younger sister, Mónica
, who is an actress. She has said that she had a happy childhood, and Charlie Rose
of 60 Minutes
described Cruz's childhood as a "simple life." In a foreshadowing
way, Cruz remembers when she was four years old, "playing with some friends and being aware that I was acting as I was playing with them—I would think of a character and pretend to be someone else."
Initially, Cruz had no ambition to be an actress and focused on dance, having studied classical ballet
for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory. She received three years of Spanish ballet training and four years of theater at Cristina Rota
's New York school. She commented that "I used to take my toenails—they would die from dancing—so I would just take the whole toenail and throw it away, and not feel anything," however, ballet instilled in her discipline that would be important in her future acting career. She became a fan of movies at age 10 or 11. With no movie theaters nearby, her first relationship with cinema was watching movies on Betamax
. Her father bought this "[Betamax] machine", of which Cruz recalls that it was very rare to own one in her neighborhood at the time.
When Cruz was a teenager, she began having an interest in acting after seeing the film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar
. She began doing casting calls for an agent
, but was rejected multiple times because the agent felt that she was too young. Cruz commented on the experience that "I was very extroverted as a kid. [...] I was studying when I was in high school at night, I was in ballet and I was doing castings. I looked for an agent and she sent me away three times because I was a little girl but I kept coming back. I'm still with her after all these years." In 1989, at the age of 15, Cruz won an audition at a talent agency over more than 300 other girls. In 1999, Katrina Bayonas
, Cruz's agent, commented, "She was absolutely magic [at the audition]. It was obvious there was something very impressive about this kid. [...] She was very green, but there was a presence. There was just something coming from within."
's song La Fuerza del Destino. Between 1990 and 1997, she hosted the Spanish TV channel Telecinco
's talk show La Quinta Marcha, a program that was hosted by teenagers, aimed at a teenage audience. She also played in the Elle et lui episode of an erotic French TV series called Série rose in 1991, where she appeared totally naked. In 1992, Cruz made her feature film debut at 18 as the lead female role in the comedy drama art house film, Jamón, jamón
. In the film, she portrayed Silvia, a young woman who is expecting her first child with a man whose mother does not approve of the relationship and attempts to sabotage it by paying Javier Bardem
's character to seduce her. People magazine
noted that after Cruz appeared topless in the film, she became "a major sex symbol." In an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News
in 1999, Cruz commented that "it was a great part, but...I wasn't really ready for the nudity. [...] But I have no regrets because I wanted to start working and it changed my life." Charlie Ross of 60 Minutes noted that Cruz "became an overnight sensation as much for her nude scenes as for her talent." When Ross asked Cruz if she was concerned about how she would be perceived after her role in the film, Cruz replied, "I just knew I had to do the complete opposite."
Jamón, jamón received broadly favorable reviews, with Chris Hicks of the Deseret News describing Cruz's portrayal of Silvia as "enchanting." Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
, film critic Roger Ebert
wrote "[The film] stars actors of considerable physical appeal, most particularly Penelope Cruz as Silvia." For her performance, Cruz was nominated for a Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award and a Goya Award for Best Actress. The same year she appeared in the Academy-Award winning Belle Epoque
as the virginal Luz. People magazine noted that Cruz's role as Luz showed that she was versatile. From 1993 to 1996, Cruz appeared in ten Spanish and Italian films. At 20, she went to live in New York for two years at Christopher
and Greenwich
to study ballet and English between movies. She recalls learning English "kinda of late" only knowing the dialogue she had learned for the casting beyond that, she could only say, “How are you?” and “Thank you.”
. She portrays Diana, a fan of The Beatles
band member John Lennon
; she tries unsuccessfully to meet him. Years later, after multiple failed relationships, Diana re-unites with an acquaintance under unusual circumstances. Also in 1997, she appeared in the opening scene of Pedro Almodóvar
's Live Flesh as a prostitute who gives birth on a bus and in Et hjørne af paradis (A Corner of Paradise) as Doña Helena. Cruz's final appearance in 1997 was the Amenabar-directed Spanish sci-fi drama Open Your Eyes. She plays Sofia, the girlfriend of lead character's best friend, who eventually begins a brief relationship with the lead character. Open Your Eyes received positive reviews but was not commercially successful, grossing $370,000 in the United States. Kevin N. Laforest of the Montreal Film Journal commented in his September 2002 review that Cruz "has been getting some really bad reviews for her recent American work, but I personally think that she's a more than decent actress, especially here, where she's charming, moving and always believable. [...] There's one shot in particular, where Cruz enters a room in a greenish glow, which is right out of Hitchcock's picture Vertigo]."
The following year, Cruz appeared in her first American film as Billy Crudup
's consolation-prize Mexican girlfriend in Stephen Frears' western film, The Hi-Lo Country
. Cruz stated that she had difficulties understanding people speaking English while she was filming The Hi-Lo Country. The film was critically and commercially unsuccessful. Kevin Lally of the Film Journal International
commented in his review for the film that "in an ironic casting twist, the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz [...] is much more appealing as Josepha [than in her previous roles]." For her performance in the film, she was nominated for an ALMA Award
for Best Actress. Also in 1998 Cruz appeared in Don Juan
and The Girl of Your Dreams.
In The Girl of Your Dreams, Cruz portrayed Macarena Granada, a singer who is in an on-and-off relationship with Antonio Resines
's character, Blas. They are part of a movie troupe that moved from Spain to Berlin (Germany) for a joint production with UFA during the years of Nazis. Cruz's performance in the film was praised by film critics, with Jonathan Holloland of Variety magazine
writing "if confirmation is still needed that Cruz is an actress first and a pretty face second, then here it is." A writer for Film4
commented that "Cruz herself is the inevitable focus of the film" but noted that overall the film "looks great." Cruz's role as Macerna has been viewed as her "largest role to date." For her performance, Cruz received a Goya Award and Spanish Actors Union Award, and was nominated for a European Film Award. In 1999, Cruz worked with Almodóvar again in All About My Mother
, playing Sister María Rosa Sanz, a pregnant nun with AIDS. The film received favorable reviews, and was commercially successful, grossing over $67 million worldwide, although it performed better at the box office internationally than domestically.
In 2000, she appeared in Woman on Top
in the lead female role as Isabelle, a world-class chef who has suffered from motion sickness since birth, her first American lead role. Lisa Nesselson of Variety magazine praised the performances of both Cruz and her co-star, Harold Perrineau, saying they "burst off the screen," and added that Cruz has a charming accent. BBC
film critic Jane Crowther said that "Cruz is wonderfully ditzy as the innocent abroad" but remarked that "it's Harold Perrineau Jr as Monica who pockets the movie." Annlee Ellingson of Box Office magazine
wrote "Cruz is stunning in the role—innocent and vulnerable yet possessing a mature grace and determined strength, all while sizzling with unchecked sensuality." Also in 2000, she played Alejandra Villarreal, who is Matt Damon
's love interest in Billy Bob Thornton
's film adaptation
of the western bestselling novel, All the Pretty Horses. Susan Stark of the Detroit News commented that in the film Thornton was able to guide Damon, Henry Thomas
and Cruz to "their most impressive performances in a major movie yet." However, Bob Longigo of the Atlanta Journal Constitution was less enthusiastic about Cruz and Damon's performance, saying that their "resulting onscreen chemistry would hardly warm a can of beans."
and Blow
. In Vanilla Sky, Cameron Crowe
's interpretation of Open Your Eyes, she played Sofia Serrano, the love interest of Tom Cruise
's character. The film received mixed reviews but made $200 million worldwide. Her performance was well received by critics, with BBC film critic Brandon Graydon saying that Cruz "is an enchanting screen presence," and Ethan Alter of the Film Journal International noting that Cruz and her co-star Cruise were "able to generate some actual chemistry." Her next film was Blow, adapted from Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. She had a supporting role as Mirtha Jung, the wife of Johnny Depp
's character. The film received mixed reviews, but made $80 million worldwide. Nina Willdorf of the Boston Phoenix described Cruz as "multi-talented" and Mark Salvo of the Austin Chronicle
wrote "I may be one of the last male holdouts to join the Cruz-Rules camp, but her tour de force performance here sucks you right in."
In 2001, she also appeared in Don't Tempt Me, playing Carmen Ramos. The film received negative reviews. Jeff Vice of the Deseret News commented that "unfortunately, casting Cruz as a tough girl is a hilariously bad [idea]..." and Michael Miller of the Village Voice writing that "as Satan's helper Carmen, Penélope Cruz doesn't hold a candle to her cocaine-huffing enabler in Blow." Cruz's last film in 2001 was Captain Corelli's Mandolin
, film adaption of the novel of the same name. She played Pelagia, who falls in love with another man while her fiancé is in battle during World War II. Captain Corelli's Mandolin was not well received by critics, but made $62 million worldwide. In 2002, she had a minor role in Waking Up in Reno
. It had negative reviews and was a box office failure, making $267,000 worldwide. The following year, Cruz had a minor role in the horror film Gothika
, as Chloe Sava, a patient at a mental hospital. David Rooney of Variety wrote that Cruz "adds a serviceably malevolent edge to Chole's apparent madness." Cruz's performance in Fanfan la Tulipe
, also in 2003, was not well received, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian commenting that Cruz "deserves a special Cannes Razzie for a performance of purest teak."
In 2004, Cruz appeared in the Christmas film Noel
as Nina, the girlfriend of Paul Walker
's character and as Mia in the romantic drama, Head in the Clouds
, set in the 1930s. Head in the Clouds performed poorly at the box office. For Head in the Clouds, Bruce Birkland of Jam! Canoe said, "The story feels forced and the performances dreary, with the notable exception of Cruz, who seems to be in a different film from the rest of the cast." Desson Thompson of the Washington Post was more critical; his comment about the character's "pronounced limp" was that "Cruz (hardly the world's greatest actress) can't even perform without looking fake." She also starred in Sergio Castellitto
’s melodrama Don’t Move
. Cruz, who learned Italian for the role, earned critical acclaim for her performance and won the David di Donatello
. She was also awarded the European Film Award for Best Actress for the film in 2004.
In 2005, Cruz appeared as Dr Eva Rojas in the action adventure Sahara
. She earned $1.6 million for her supporting role. The film grossed $110 million worldwide but did not recoup its $160 million budget. Moviefone
dubbed the film "one of the most famous flops in history" and in 2007, listed it at 24 on its list of "Biggest Box-Office Turkeys of All Time". Lori Hoffman of the Atlantic City Weekly
felt Cruz put her "considerable [acting] skills on cruise control as Dr Eva Rojas" and James Berardnelli of ReelViews described Cruz's performance as a "black hole," that she "lacks screen presence." Also in 2005, Cruz appeared in Chromophobia, screened at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
and released the following year. Mathew Turner of View London
said Cruz's character Gloria, a cancer-riddled prostitute, is "actually more interesting than the main storyline" while Time Evan's of Sky Movies
wrote, "The Cruz/Ifans storyline – featuring the only two remotely sympathetic characters – never really fuses with the main plot." Her final 2005 film was Don't Move
playing Italia. Eric Harrison of the Houston Chronicle
noted that Cruz "goes all out" with her appearance and Patrick Peters of Empire magazine
commented that the film's director, who also appears in the film, was able to draw a "sensitive performance" from Cruz.
in the 2006 Western comedy film, Bandidas
, as María Álvarez, a poor farm girl who robs banks with a wealthy friend to combat an enforcer terrorizing their town. Randy Cordova of the Arizona Republic said the film "sports" Cruz and her co-star Salma Hayek as the "lusty dream team" and that they were the "marketing fantasy" for the film. A writer for 20minutos.es called Cruz and Hayek the "demand curves" of the film. Also in 2006, Cruz received favourable reviews for her performance as Raimunda in Pedro Almodóvar
's Volver
. The film was well received by critics and on multiple top ten film lists for 2006. Carina Chocano of The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Cruz, who has remarked that in Hollywood she's rarely allowed to be anything more than pretty, instills her with an awesome resoluteness and strength of character." Jan Stuart of Newsday
described Cruz as having "never been more radiant and funny." IGN film critic Todd Gilchrist praised Cruz, saying her "performance is nothing short of revelatory" and that "Here, she finds the best role of her career, and leaps in with complete commitment." She shared a Best Actress
award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
with five of her co-stars, as well as receiving a Goya Award and European Film Award, and was nominated for the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the BAFTA Award
, and the Academy Award for Best Actress
in a leading role. She was the first Spaniard to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
In 2007, Cruz appeared in the lead female role in Manolete
, a biopic of bullfighter Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez
, playing Antoñita "Lupe" Sino. She also appeared in The Good Night
, playing two characters, Anna and Melody. The film received negative reviews and did not perform well at the box office. TV Guide
film critic Maitland McDonagh noted that in the film Cruz "expertly mines the contrast between chic, compliant, white-clad Anna and funky, street-smart Melody, who treats [Martin Freeman's character] Gary like the world-class drag he is." David Edelstein of New York Magazine said "Cruz shows up in the flesh, and she's wonderfully tart and funny." In 2008, Cruz appeared in Isabel Coixet
's film Elegy
, which was based on the Philip Roth
story The Dying Animal
, as the lead female role, Consuela Castillo. The film generated mixed to positive reviews, and appeared on multiple film critics' top ten film lists for 2008. Ray Bennett of the Hollywood Reporter described Cruz's performance as being "outstanding in an otherwise lame male fantasy [film]" and MSNBC
film critic Alonso Duralde praised Cruz and her co-star, Ben Kingsley
, writing that they give "extraordinary performances" in the film.
Later that year, she starred in Woody Allen
's Vicky Cristina Barcelona
as María Elena, a mentally unstable woman. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised Cruz's performance in the film, commenting, "Cruz looks as if she has wandered in from a more hefty film entirely; everything she does and says seems to mean more, count for more. This isn't to say that she gets bigger laughs, or perhaps any laughs, but she certainly walks off with the film." Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter remarked that the film "belongs" to Cruz and her co-star Bardem. Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine felt that Cruz's performance was "dynamite" in both of the languages she spoke. A writer for 20minutos.es described Cruz as having planted "relentless growth" in the film. Cruz received a Goya Award and her first Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received a Golden Globe and SAG nomination. Cruz was the first Spanish actress to ever be awarded an Academy Award in that category and the sixth Hispanic person to ever receive the award.
Cruz's next film was the kid-friendly G-Force
, which was released to theaters in July 2009. In the film, she voiced a guinea pig
spy named Juarez. G-Force was a commercial success, making over $290 million worldwide. Also in 2009, she appeared in the film Broken Embraces as Lena, the lead character's mistress and assistant who is an aspiring actress. Moira Macdonald of the Seattle Times wrote "Cruz, so lovely she hardly seems real, makes Lena both vulnerable and steely. Lena's life, it seems, is turning into a movie that she can't escape, as men and cameras seem to blur together and her dazzling smile becomes little defense." Claudia Puig of USA Today
described Cruz's performance as Lena as being "superb." Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com
noted in her review for the film that Cruz "doesn't coast on her beauty in Broken Embraces, and she has the kind of role that can be difficult to flesh out." Cruz received nominations from the Satellite Awards and European Film Awards for her performance in Broken Embraces.
Cruz's final 2009 film was the film version
of the musical Nine
, playing the character Carla Albanese, the lead character's mistress. Variety reported that Cruz had originally auditioned for the role of the film within a film's star, Claudia, which eventually went to Nicole Kidman
. Cruz said that she trained for three months for the dance routine in the film. The film generated negative reviews and was a financial failure. Claudia Puig of USA Today commented that while Cruz "does a steamy song and dance," her "acting is strangely caricatured." Chris Tookey of the Daily Mail
made a similar comment, saying: "I know Penelope Cruz has been nominated for a Golden Globe for her camp vamp act, but to me she is unnervingly over the top [in this film], like Strictly Come Dancing
s Bruno Tonioli
in drag." F. Bernal of Que.es commented, "In terms of its ability to integrate with luck in the cast of a musical, it is clear that Penelope does a good note [in the film]." Cruz's performance as Carla garnered her nominations for Best Supporting Actress from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and SAG Awards.
In 2010, Cruz appeared in the film Sex and the City 2
, the sequel to the 2008 film, in a cameo role. Cruz appeared in her biggest Hollywood turn to date, in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film
, as Angelica, Blackbeard
's daughter and the former love interest of Captain Jack Sparrow. This film had Cruz and director Rob Marshall
reuniting once more since the film Nine
. On 1 April 2011, prior to the film's release, Cruz received the 2,436th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in front of the El Capitan Theatre
. She became the first Spanish actress to receive a Star. Her upcoming roles include Woody Allen
's The Bop Decameron, and she is set to reunite with Italian director Sergio Castellitto
in his war tale "Venuto al Mondo" as Gemma, a single mother who brings her teenage son to Sarajevo
, where the boy’s father died during the Balkan War. The film is based on an Italian bestseller. The part is a switch for Cruz, who has until now mostly been sliding between Hollywood- and Spain-based movies. “I like that it’s a movie that’s not Spanish or English. [...] I love this part of the job that lets you become someone else with a different nationality.” In an interview with the Italian publication La Repubblica, Cruz commented on playing Gemma, saying, "I feel as an actress Gemma will be playing one of the most important opportunities of my life." After being shelfed since 2007 Cruz's film Manolete
(originally shot in 2005, four years before Cruz won her Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona) released on demand
via cable, satellite, telco and online in June 7, 2011 under the title, A Matador’s Mistress.
, to promote products such as the L'Oréal Paris hair dye Natural Match and L'Oreal mascara products. Cruz appears in television and print ads for the company. She receives $2 million a year for her work for the company. Cruz has appeared in print ads for Mango
and had a contract with Ralph Lauren
in 2001. Cruz and her sister designed their second collection for Mango in 2007. It was inspired by Brigitte Bardot
and summers in St Tropez. Cruz said: "It's been a really good collaboration because they're a great Spanish company and they give us a lot of [creative] freedom. My sister and I have a great time working on the designs."
Cruz ranked as No. 58 in Maxim's
Hot 100 of 2007 list, and was chosen by Empire magazine
as being one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the world. Penelope was also ranked on Askmen.com
's Most Desirable Women of 2008 at No.26, in 2009 at No. 25, and in 2010 at No.7 In April 2010, she replaced Kate Winslet
as the new face and ambassador of Lancôme
's Trésor fragrance. Lancôme has signed Cruz as the brand’s third superstar spokesmodel, along with Julia Roberts
and Winslet. The campaign was shot by Mario Testino
at Paris's Hotel de Crillon
and debuted in the fall 2010.
In 2010, Cruz was a guest editor for the French Vogue
magazine, focusing on larger-size models in a provocative photo shoot. Vanity Fair asked them to pose for a Hollywood issue in 2010. Almodovar described her as his muse
. On the cover of Spanish Vogue's December 2010 issue, she agreed to be photographed by fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh
only if her pregnancy not be shown. In 2011, The Telegraph
reported the most sought after body parts of the rich and famous revealed by two Hollywood plastic surgeons who carried out a survey
among their patients to build up the picture of the perfect woman. Under the category of the most sought after body shape Penelope Cruz, known for her voluptuous figure, was voted as having the top body with Gisele Bundchen
and Jennifer Aniston
finishing the top three.
that included assisting in a leprosy clinic. That trip inspired Cruz to help start a foundation to support homeless girls in India, where she sponsors two young women. She donated her salary from her first Hollywood movie, The Hi-Lo Country, to Mother Teresa's mission. In the early 2000s, she spent time in Nepal photographing Tibetan children for an exhibition attended by the Dalai Lama
. She also photographed residents at the Pacific Lodge Boys' Home, most of whom are former gang members and recovering substance abusers. She said: "These kids break my heart. I have to control myself not to cry. Not out of pity, but seeing how tricky life is and how hard it is to make the right choices." A pregnant Cruz showed her support for the battle against AIDS by lighting up the Empire State Building
with red lights in New York City December 1, 2010 on International AIDS Day
, as part of (RED)'s new awareness campaign, 'An AIDS Free Generation is Due in 2015,' which aims to eradicate the HIV virus from pregnant mothers to their babies.
Cruz had a three-year relationship with Tom Cruise after they appeared together in Vanilla Sky. It ended in January 2004. In April 2003, she filed a lawsuit against the Australian magazine New Idea
for defamation over an article about her relationship with Cruise. Her lawyers claimed that "the proceedings state that the article contains a number of false and defamatory statements concerning Ms. Cruz" and she is seeking "substantial damages and is confident that legal proceedings will vindicate her reputation."
Cruz dated actor Matthew McConaughey
from February 2005 to June 2006. In April 2007, Cruz told the Spanish edition of Marie Claire said she would like to adopt children.
Cruz began dating co-star Javier Bardem
in 2007. They married in early July 2010 in a private ceremony at a friend's home in the Bahamas; Cruz wore a dress by Galliano
. Marie Claire
reported that Cruz gave birth to her first child, a son named Leo, on January 22, 2011 at the Cedars Sinai Hospital.
Jamón, jamón
Jamón, jamón is a 1992 Spanish comedy/drama film directed by Bigas Luna and starring Javier Bardem, Jordi Mollà and Penélope Cruz in her debut film. It centres around a young woman named Silvia played by Cruz. According to LoveFilm, the film is bursting with sexual energy and twisted romantic...
(1992), to critical acclaim. Her subsequent roles in the 1990s and 2000s included Open Your Eyes (1997), The Hi-Lo Country
The Hi-Lo Country
The Hi-Lo Country is a 1998 American Western/drama film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Penelope Cruz, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado...
(1999), The Girl of Your Dreams (2000) and Woman on Top
Woman on Top
Woman on Top is a 2000 fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Fina Torres. It is set in Salvador, Brazil and San Francisco, United States. The film stars Penélope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Harold Perrineau Jr. and Mark Feuerstein. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes...
(2000). Cruz achieved recognition for her lead roles in Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed, co-produced and co-written by Cameron Crowe. The film is an English-language remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Abre los ojos , the screenplay for which was written by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil...
and Blow
Blow (film)
Blow is a 2001 biopic about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, directed by Ted Demme. David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes adapted Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All for the screenplay. It is based on the real...
. Both films were released in 2001 and were commercially successful worldwide.
In the 2000s she has appeared in films from a wide range of genres, including the comedy Waking Up in Reno
Waking Up in Reno
Waking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The screenplay by Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser focuses on two redneck couples taking a road trip from Little Rock to Reno to see a monster truck rally.-Plot:...
(2002), the thriller Gothika
Gothika
-Box office:Gothika was released on November 21, 2003 in North America, grossing $19,288,438 in the opening weekend and ranking at #2, behind The Cat in the Hat. It went on to gross $59,694,580 in the domestic market and $81,896,744 from foreign markets for a worldwide total of $141,591,324...
(2003), the Christmas movie Noel
Noel (film)
Noel is a 2004 Christmas-themed drama film written by David Hubbard and directed by Chazz Palminteri. It stars Susan Sarandon, Penélope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Daniel Sunjata and an uncredited Robin Williams.-Plot summary:...
(2004), the action adventure Sahara
Sahara (2005 film)
Sahara is a 2005 action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner and based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler...
(2005), the animated G-Force
G-Force (film)
G-Force is a 2009 spy-fi comedy film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Walt Disney Pictures in Disney Digital 3-D. Written by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the film is the directorial debut of Hoyt Yeatman, whose earlier work includes contributions in the area of visual effects...
and the musical drama Nine
Nine (film)
Nine is a 2009 musical-romantic film directed and produced by Rob Marshall. The screenplay, written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, is based on Arthur Kopit's book for the 1982 musical of the same name, which was itself suggested by Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
. Her most notable films to date are Volver
Volver
Volver is a 2006 Spanish dramatic comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Headed by actress Penélope Cruz, the film features an ensemble cast starring Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chus Lampreave...
(2006), for which she earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a 2008 romance comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall...
(2008), for which she received an Academy Award. She was the first Spanish actress in history to receive an Academy Award and the first Spanish actress to receive a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
Cruz has modeled for companies such as Mango
Mango (clothing)
Mango, stylized MANGO, is a clothing design and manufacturing company. Isak Andic is the president.Its goal is "to be present in every city" in the world...
, Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
and L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
. Penélope and her younger sister Mónica Cruz
Mónica Cruz
Mónica Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress and dancer. She is the youngest sister of fellow actress Penélope Cruz and Spanish singer Eduardo Cruz.-Early life:...
have designed items for Mango. She has donated both her time and money to charities. Cruz has volunteered in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where she spent one week working for Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
; she donated her salary from The Hi-Lo Country to help fund the late nun's mission.
Early life
Penélope Cruz Sánchez was born in AlcobendasAlcobendas
Alcobendas is a city located in the Community of Madrid, central Spain. It is located roughly 13 km north of Madrid and 7 km from the Barajas International Airport. It includes a central urban zone, a recently built district known as Valdelasfuentes, La Moraleja and El Soto de la...
, Community of Madrid, Spain, the daughter of Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser and personal manager, and Eduardo Cruz, a retailer and auto mechanic. She was raised Roman Catholic. Throughout her childhood, Cruz lived in Alcobendas, a working-class town, although she spent "a lot" of time at her grandmother's apartment. Cruz is the oldest of three siblings; she has a younger brother, Eduardo, who is a singer, and a younger sister, Mónica
Mónica Cruz
Mónica Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress and dancer. She is the youngest sister of fellow actress Penélope Cruz and Spanish singer Eduardo Cruz.-Early life:...
, who is an actress. She has said that she had a happy childhood, and Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
of 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
described Cruz's childhood as a "simple life." In a foreshadowing
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing or adumbrating is a literary device in which an author indistinctly suggests certain plot developments that might come later in the story.-Repetitive designation and Chekhov's gun:...
way, Cruz remembers when she was four years old, "playing with some friends and being aware that I was acting as I was playing with them—I would think of a character and pretend to be someone else."
Initially, Cruz had no ambition to be an actress and focused on dance, having studied classical ballet
Classical ballet
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet...
for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory. She received three years of Spanish ballet training and four years of theater at Cristina Rota
Cristina Rota
Cristina Rota is an Argentine actress, producer and drama teacher.Mother with the actor Diego Botto of the actors Juan Diego and María Botto, her daughter Nur Al Levi is also an actress....
's New York school. She commented that "I used to take my toenails—they would die from dancing—so I would just take the whole toenail and throw it away, and not feel anything," however, ballet instilled in her discipline that would be important in her future acting career. She became a fan of movies at age 10 or 11. With no movie theaters nearby, her first relationship with cinema was watching movies on Betamax
Betamax
Betamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
. Her father bought this "[Betamax] machine", of which Cruz recalls that it was very rare to own one in her neighborhood at the time.
When Cruz was a teenager, she began having an interest in acting after seeing the film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is a 1990 Spanish film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, a dark romantic comedy starring Antonio Banderas and Victoria Abril. The plot follows a recently released psychiatric patient who kidnaps an actress in order to make her fall in love with him...
by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
. She began doing casting calls for an agent
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
, but was rejected multiple times because the agent felt that she was too young. Cruz commented on the experience that "I was very extroverted as a kid. [...] I was studying when I was in high school at night, I was in ballet and I was doing castings. I looked for an agent and she sent me away three times because I was a little girl but I kept coming back. I'm still with her after all these years." In 1989, at the age of 15, Cruz won an audition at a talent agency over more than 300 other girls. In 1999, Katrina Bayonas
Katrina Bayonas
Katrina Bayonas is an actors' agent, film producer and casting director who is best known for discovering Penélope Cruz and managing her career...
, Cruz's agent, commented, "She was absolutely magic [at the audition]. It was obvious there was something very impressive about this kid. [...] She was very green, but there was a presence. There was just something coming from within."
Early work, 1989–1996
In 1989, 15 year-old Cruz made her acting debut in a music video for the Spanish pop group MecanoMecano
Mecano was a Spanish pop band whose debut coincided with La Movida Madrileña , a sociocultural movement that occurred in Madrid, Spain during the 1980s...
's song La Fuerza del Destino. Between 1990 and 1997, she hosted the Spanish TV channel Telecinco
Telecinco
Telecinco is a Spanish commercial television channel operated by Mediaset España. Launched in 1990 as Tele 5, it was the fifth of the national terrestrial television channels. In 1997, Tele 5 was rebranded as Telecinco, dropping the flower logo seen in other Mediaset channel...
's talk show La Quinta Marcha, a program that was hosted by teenagers, aimed at a teenage audience. She also played in the Elle et lui episode of an erotic French TV series called Série rose in 1991, where she appeared totally naked. In 1992, Cruz made her feature film debut at 18 as the lead female role in the comedy drama art house film, Jamón, jamón
Jamón, jamón
Jamón, jamón is a 1992 Spanish comedy/drama film directed by Bigas Luna and starring Javier Bardem, Jordi Mollà and Penélope Cruz in her debut film. It centres around a young woman named Silvia played by Cruz. According to LoveFilm, the film is bursting with sexual energy and twisted romantic...
. In the film, she portrayed Silvia, a young woman who is expecting her first child with a man whose mother does not approve of the relationship and attempts to sabotage it by paying Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem
Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem is a Spanish actor. In 2007 he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as sociopathic assassin Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, and has also garnered critical acclaim for roles in films such as Jamón, jamón, Carne trémula, Boca a boca, Los...
's character to seduce her. People magazine
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
noted that after Cruz appeared topless in the film, she became "a major sex symbol." In an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
in 1999, Cruz commented that "it was a great part, but...I wasn't really ready for the nudity. [...] But I have no regrets because I wanted to start working and it changed my life." Charlie Ross of 60 Minutes noted that Cruz "became an overnight sensation as much for her nude scenes as for her talent." When Ross asked Cruz if she was concerned about how she would be perceived after her role in the film, Cruz replied, "I just knew I had to do the complete opposite."
Jamón, jamón received broadly favorable reviews, with Chris Hicks of the Deseret News describing Cruz's portrayal of Silvia as "enchanting." Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
wrote "[The film] stars actors of considerable physical appeal, most particularly Penelope Cruz as Silvia." For her performance, Cruz was nominated for a Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award and a Goya Award for Best Actress. The same year she appeared in the Academy-Award winning Belle Epoque
Belle Epoque (film)
Belle Époque is a 1992 Spanish film directed by Fernando Trueba. The title derives from the period in French history known as the Belle Époque .-Plot:...
as the virginal Luz. People magazine noted that Cruz's role as Luz showed that she was versatile. From 1993 to 1996, Cruz appeared in ten Spanish and Italian films. At 20, she went to live in New York for two years at Christopher
Christopher Street (Manhattan)
Christopher Street is a street in the West Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the continuation of 9th St. to the west of its intersection with 6th Ave. The Stonewall Inn is located on Christopher Street, and, therefore, the street was at the center of New York's...
and Greenwich
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
to study ballet and English between movies. She recalls learning English "kinda of late" only knowing the dialogue she had learned for the casting beyond that, she could only say, “How are you?” and “Thank you.”
Early critical success, 1997–2000
In 1997, Cruz appeared in the Spanish comedy film Love Can Seriously Damage Your HealthLove Can Seriously Damage Your Health
El amor perjudica seriamente la salud is a 1997 Spanish comedy film directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira, starred by Ana Belén, Juanjo Puigcorbé, Penélope Cruz and Gabino Diego.-Synopsis :...
. She portrays Diana, a fan of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
band member John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
; she tries unsuccessfully to meet him. Years later, after multiple failed relationships, Diana re-unites with an acquaintance under unusual circumstances. Also in 1997, she appeared in the opening scene of Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
's Live Flesh as a prostitute who gives birth on a bus and in Et hjørne af paradis (A Corner of Paradise) as Doña Helena. Cruz's final appearance in 1997 was the Amenabar-directed Spanish sci-fi drama Open Your Eyes. She plays Sofia, the girlfriend of lead character's best friend, who eventually begins a brief relationship with the lead character. Open Your Eyes received positive reviews but was not commercially successful, grossing $370,000 in the United States. Kevin N. Laforest of the Montreal Film Journal commented in his September 2002 review that Cruz "has been getting some really bad reviews for her recent American work, but I personally think that she's a more than decent actress, especially here, where she's charming, moving and always believable. [...] There's one shot in particular, where Cruz enters a room in a greenish glow, which is right out of Hitchcock's picture Vertigo]."
The following year, Cruz appeared in her first American film as Billy Crudup
Billy Crudup
William Gaither "Billy" Crudup is an American actor of film and stage. He is well known for his roles as guitarist Russell Hammond in Almost Famous, Will Bloom in Big Fish, and Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. He also starred in the 2007 romantic comedy film Dedication, alongside Mandy Moore...
's consolation-prize Mexican girlfriend in Stephen Frears' western film, The Hi-Lo Country
The Hi-Lo Country
The Hi-Lo Country is a 1998 American Western/drama film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Penelope Cruz, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado...
. Cruz stated that she had difficulties understanding people speaking English while she was filming The Hi-Lo Country. The film was critically and commercially unsuccessful. Kevin Lally of the Film Journal International
Film Journal International
Film Journal International is a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It is a sister publication of Adweek, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and other periodicals....
commented in his review for the film that "in an ironic casting twist, the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz [...] is much more appealing as Josepha [than in her previous roles]." For her performance in the film, she was nominated for an ALMA Award
Alma Award
The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
for Best Actress. Also in 1998 Cruz appeared in Don Juan
Don Juan (1998 film)
Don Juan is a 1998 film directed and written by Jacques Weber, starring Penélope Cruz and Emmanuelle Béart. The screenplay was based on the play Dom Juan by Molière. The film takes place in a mental hospital.-Awards and nominations:...
and The Girl of Your Dreams.
In The Girl of Your Dreams, Cruz portrayed Macarena Granada, a singer who is in an on-and-off relationship with Antonio Resines
Antonio Resines
Antonio Fernández Resines is an award-winning Spanish film and television actor.- Selected filmography :*La dama boba .*Otros días vendrán ....
's character, Blas. They are part of a movie troupe that moved from Spain to Berlin (Germany) for a joint production with UFA during the years of Nazis. Cruz's performance in the film was praised by film critics, with Jonathan Holloland of Variety magazine
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
writing "if confirmation is still needed that Cruz is an actress first and a pretty face second, then here it is." A writer for Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
commented that "Cruz herself is the inevitable focus of the film" but noted that overall the film "looks great." Cruz's role as Macerna has been viewed as her "largest role to date." For her performance, Cruz received a Goya Award and Spanish Actors Union Award, and was nominated for a European Film Award. In 1999, Cruz worked with Almodóvar again in All About My Mother
All About My Mother
All About My Mother is a 1999 Spanish drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film deals with complex issues such as AIDS, transvestitism, faith, and existentialism....
, playing Sister María Rosa Sanz, a pregnant nun with AIDS. The film received favorable reviews, and was commercially successful, grossing over $67 million worldwide, although it performed better at the box office internationally than domestically.
In 2000, she appeared in Woman on Top
Woman on Top
Woman on Top is a 2000 fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Fina Torres. It is set in Salvador, Brazil and San Francisco, United States. The film stars Penélope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Harold Perrineau Jr. and Mark Feuerstein. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes...
in the lead female role as Isabelle, a world-class chef who has suffered from motion sickness since birth, her first American lead role. Lisa Nesselson of Variety magazine praised the performances of both Cruz and her co-star, Harold Perrineau, saying they "burst off the screen," and added that Cruz has a charming accent. BBC
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
film critic Jane Crowther said that "Cruz is wonderfully ditzy as the innocent abroad" but remarked that "it's Harold Perrineau Jr as Monica who pockets the movie." Annlee Ellingson of Box Office magazine
Boxoffice (magazine)
Boxoffice is a film industry magazine dedicated to the movie theatre business published by Boxoffice Media LP. It started in 1920 as The Reel Journal, taking its current name in 1931 and still publishes today, with an intended audience of theatre owners and film professionals.Boxoffice is the...
wrote "Cruz is stunning in the role—innocent and vulnerable yet possessing a mature grace and determined strength, all while sizzling with unchecked sensuality." Also in 2000, she played Alejandra Villarreal, who is Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
's love interest in Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
's film adaptation
All the Pretty Horses (film)
All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American romance western film, directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same title by author Cormac McCarthy. It stars Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz...
of the western bestselling novel, All the Pretty Horses. Susan Stark of the Detroit News commented that in the film Thornton was able to guide Damon, Henry Thomas
Henry Thomas
Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. is an American actor and musician. He has appeared in more than 40 films and is best known for his role as Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.-Early life:...
and Cruz to "their most impressive performances in a major movie yet." However, Bob Longigo of the Atlanta Journal Constitution was less enthusiastic about Cruz and Damon's performance, saying that their "resulting onscreen chemistry would hardly warm a can of beans."
Breakthrough, 2001–2005
2001 marked a turning point when Cruz starred in the feature films Vanilla SkyVanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed, co-produced and co-written by Cameron Crowe. The film is an English-language remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Abre los ojos , the screenplay for which was written by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil...
and Blow
Blow (film)
Blow is a 2001 biopic about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, directed by Ted Demme. David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes adapted Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All for the screenplay. It is based on the real...
. In Vanilla Sky, Cameron Crowe
Cameron Crowe
Cameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
's interpretation of Open Your Eyes, she played Sofia Serrano, the love interest of Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
's character. The film received mixed reviews but made $200 million worldwide. Her performance was well received by critics, with BBC film critic Brandon Graydon saying that Cruz "is an enchanting screen presence," and Ethan Alter of the Film Journal International noting that Cruz and her co-star Cruise were "able to generate some actual chemistry." Her next film was Blow, adapted from Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. She had a supporting role as Mirtha Jung, the wife of Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
's character. The film received mixed reviews, but made $80 million worldwide. Nina Willdorf of the Boston Phoenix described Cruz as "multi-talented" and Mark Salvo of the Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
wrote "I may be one of the last male holdouts to join the Cruz-Rules camp, but her tour de force performance here sucks you right in."
In 2001, she also appeared in Don't Tempt Me, playing Carmen Ramos. The film received negative reviews. Jeff Vice of the Deseret News commented that "unfortunately, casting Cruz as a tough girl is a hilariously bad [idea]..." and Michael Miller of the Village Voice writing that "as Satan's helper Carmen, Penélope Cruz doesn't hold a candle to her cocaine-huffing enabler in Blow." Cruz's last film in 2001 was Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a 2001 film directed by John Madden and based on the novel of the same name by Louis de Bernières. It stars Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz.-Plot:...
, film adaption of the novel of the same name. She played Pelagia, who falls in love with another man while her fiancé is in battle during World War II. Captain Corelli's Mandolin was not well received by critics, but made $62 million worldwide. In 2002, she had a minor role in Waking Up in Reno
Waking Up in Reno
Waking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The screenplay by Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser focuses on two redneck couples taking a road trip from Little Rock to Reno to see a monster truck rally.-Plot:...
. It had negative reviews and was a box office failure, making $267,000 worldwide. The following year, Cruz had a minor role in the horror film Gothika
Gothika
-Box office:Gothika was released on November 21, 2003 in North America, grossing $19,288,438 in the opening weekend and ranking at #2, behind The Cat in the Hat. It went on to gross $59,694,580 in the domestic market and $81,896,744 from foreign markets for a worldwide total of $141,591,324...
, as Chloe Sava, a patient at a mental hospital. David Rooney of Variety wrote that Cruz "adds a serviceably malevolent edge to Chole's apparent madness." Cruz's performance in Fanfan la Tulipe
Fanfan la Tulipe (2003 film)
Fanfan la Tulipe is a 2003 French comedy adventure film directed by Gérard Krawczyk and starring Vincent Perez and Penelope Cruz. It was screened out of competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival...
, also in 2003, was not well received, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian commenting that Cruz "deserves a special Cannes Razzie for a performance of purest teak."
In 2004, Cruz appeared in the Christmas film Noel
Noel (film)
Noel is a 2004 Christmas-themed drama film written by David Hubbard and directed by Chazz Palminteri. It stars Susan Sarandon, Penélope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Daniel Sunjata and an uncredited Robin Williams.-Plot summary:...
as Nina, the girlfriend of Paul Walker
Paul Walker
Paul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
's character and as Mia in the romantic drama, Head in the Clouds
Head in the Clouds
Head in the Clouds is a 2004 drama film written and directed by John Duigan. The original screenplay focuses on the choices young lovers must make as they find themselves surrounded by increasing political unrest in late-1930s Europe.-Plot synopsis:...
, set in the 1930s. Head in the Clouds performed poorly at the box office. For Head in the Clouds, Bruce Birkland of Jam! Canoe said, "The story feels forced and the performances dreary, with the notable exception of Cruz, who seems to be in a different film from the rest of the cast." Desson Thompson of the Washington Post was more critical; his comment about the character's "pronounced limp" was that "Cruz (hardly the world's greatest actress) can't even perform without looking fake." She also starred in Sergio Castellitto
Sergio Castellitto
Sergio Castellitto is an Italian actor and director.Castellitto attended the academy of dramatic art and dedicated himself to theatre soon after, working with many famous actors such as Luigi Squarzina, Aldo Trionfo and Enzo Muzii...
’s melodrama Don’t Move
Don't Move (film)
Don't Move is a 2004 Italian film directed by Sergio Castellitto. It stars Penélope Cruz, Claudia Gerini, Elena Perino and the director himself. Both Castellitto and Cruz received critical praise for their performances, as well as several awards, including the prestigious David di Donatello...
. Cruz, who learned Italian for the role, earned critical acclaim for her performance and won the David di Donatello
David di Donatello
David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
. She was also awarded the European Film Award for Best Actress for the film in 2004.
In 2005, Cruz appeared as Dr Eva Rojas in the action adventure Sahara
Sahara (2005 film)
Sahara is a 2005 action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner and based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler...
. She earned $1.6 million for her supporting role. The film grossed $110 million worldwide but did not recoup its $160 million budget. Moviefone
Moviefone
Moviefone is an American-based movie listing and information service. Moviegoers can obtain local showtimes, theatre information, film reviews, or advance tickets...
dubbed the film "one of the most famous flops in history" and in 2007, listed it at 24 on its list of "Biggest Box-Office Turkeys of All Time". Lori Hoffman of the Atlantic City Weekly
Atlantic city weekly
Atlantic City Weekly , The Atlantic City Weekly, is a free newspaper based in Atlantic City since 1974. Atlantic City Weekly is the source for what's happening in South Jersey...
felt Cruz put her "considerable [acting] skills on cruise control as Dr Eva Rojas" and James Berardnelli of ReelViews described Cruz's performance as a "black hole," that she "lacks screen presence." Also in 2005, Cruz appeared in Chromophobia, screened at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
and released the following year. Mathew Turner of View London
View London
View London, owned by the 2 View Group Ltd, is an online entertainment guide to London, UK covering restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs in London. It also has a "What's On" guide and reviews of current cinema releases by Matthew Turner, its resident film critic.The site allow users to post...
said Cruz's character Gloria, a cancer-riddled prostitute, is "actually more interesting than the main storyline" while Time Evan's of Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies is the collective name for the premium subscription television movie channels operated by Sky Television, and later British Sky Broadcasting. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV in the UK and Ireland...
wrote, "The Cruz/Ifans storyline – featuring the only two remotely sympathetic characters – never really fuses with the main plot." Her final 2005 film was Don't Move
Don't Move (film)
Don't Move is a 2004 Italian film directed by Sergio Castellitto. It stars Penélope Cruz, Claudia Gerini, Elena Perino and the director himself. Both Castellitto and Cruz received critical praise for their performances, as well as several awards, including the prestigious David di Donatello...
playing Italia. Eric Harrison of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
noted that Cruz "goes all out" with her appearance and Patrick Peters of Empire magazine
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
commented that the film's director, who also appears in the film, was able to draw a "sensitive performance" from Cruz.
Worldwide recognition, 2006–present
Cruz appeared alongside her good friend Salma HayekSalma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
in the 2006 Western comedy film, Bandidas
Bandidas
Bandidas is a 2006 French/Mexican/American Western comedy film starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson...
, as María Álvarez, a poor farm girl who robs banks with a wealthy friend to combat an enforcer terrorizing their town. Randy Cordova of the Arizona Republic said the film "sports" Cruz and her co-star Salma Hayek as the "lusty dream team" and that they were the "marketing fantasy" for the film. A writer for 20minutos.es called Cruz and Hayek the "demand curves" of the film. Also in 2006, Cruz received favourable reviews for her performance as Raimunda in Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
's Volver
Volver
Volver is a 2006 Spanish dramatic comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Headed by actress Penélope Cruz, the film features an ensemble cast starring Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chus Lampreave...
. The film was well received by critics and on multiple top ten film lists for 2006. Carina Chocano of The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Cruz, who has remarked that in Hollywood she's rarely allowed to be anything more than pretty, instills her with an awesome resoluteness and strength of character." Jan Stuart of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
described Cruz as having "never been more radiant and funny." IGN film critic Todd Gilchrist praised Cruz, saying her "performance is nothing short of revelatory" and that "Here, she finds the best role of her career, and leaps in with complete commitment." She shared a Best Actress
Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
with five of her co-stars, as well as receiving a Goya Award and European Film Award, and was nominated for the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the BAFTA Award
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
, and the Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
in a leading role. She was the first Spaniard to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
In 2007, Cruz appeared in the lead female role in Manolete
Manolete (film)
The Passion Within , Blood and Passion , and A Matador’s Mistress , is a 2007 biopic of bullfighter Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez better known as Manolete, was written and directed by Menno Meyjes. This is the first film from HandMade Films since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
, a biopic of bullfighter Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez
Manolete
Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez , better known as Manolete, was a Spanish bullfighter.He rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish Civil War and is considered by some to be the greatest bullfighter of all time. His style was sober and serious, with few concessions to the gallery, and he...
, playing Antoñita "Lupe" Sino. She also appeared in The Good Night
The Good Night
The Good Night is a 2007 romantic comedy film written and directed by Jake Paltrow. The film stars his sister Gwyneth Paltrow, Penélope Cruz, Martin Freeman, Danny DeVito, Simon Pegg and others...
, playing two characters, Anna and Melody. The film received negative reviews and did not perform well at the box office. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
film critic Maitland McDonagh noted that in the film Cruz "expertly mines the contrast between chic, compliant, white-clad Anna and funky, street-smart Melody, who treats [Martin Freeman's character] Gary like the world-class drag he is." David Edelstein of New York Magazine said "Cruz shows up in the flesh, and she's wonderfully tart and funny." In 2008, Cruz appeared in Isabel Coixet
Isabel Coixet
Isabel Coixet is a Spanish film director.She received an M.A. in history from the University of Barcelona...
's film Elegy
Elegy (film)
Elegy is a 2008 drama directed by Spanish director Isabel Coixet and based on a Philip Roth novel, The Dying Animal. Staring Penélope Cruz and Ben Kingsley. The film is set in New York City, but was filmed in Vancouver.-Plot:...
, which was based on the Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
story The Dying Animal
The Dying Animal
The Dying Animal is a short novel by the US writer Philip Roth. It tells the story of senior literature professor David Kepesh, renowned for his literature-themed radio show. Kepesh is finally destroyed by his inability to comprehend emotional commitment...
, as the lead female role, Consuela Castillo. The film generated mixed to positive reviews, and appeared on multiple film critics' top ten film lists for 2008. Ray Bennett of the Hollywood Reporter described Cruz's performance as being "outstanding in an otherwise lame male fantasy [film]" and MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
film critic Alonso Duralde praised Cruz and her co-star, Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
, writing that they give "extraordinary performances" in the film.
Later that year, she starred in Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a 2008 romance comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall...
as María Elena, a mentally unstable woman. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised Cruz's performance in the film, commenting, "Cruz looks as if she has wandered in from a more hefty film entirely; everything she does and says seems to mean more, count for more. This isn't to say that she gets bigger laughs, or perhaps any laughs, but she certainly walks off with the film." Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter remarked that the film "belongs" to Cruz and her co-star Bardem. Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine felt that Cruz's performance was "dynamite" in both of the languages she spoke. A writer for 20minutos.es described Cruz as having planted "relentless growth" in the film. Cruz received a Goya Award and her first Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received a Golden Globe and SAG nomination. Cruz was the first Spanish actress to ever be awarded an Academy Award in that category and the sixth Hispanic person to ever receive the award.
Cruz's next film was the kid-friendly G-Force
G-Force (film)
G-Force is a 2009 spy-fi comedy film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Walt Disney Pictures in Disney Digital 3-D. Written by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the film is the directorial debut of Hoyt Yeatman, whose earlier work includes contributions in the area of visual effects...
, which was released to theaters in July 2009. In the film, she voiced a guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
spy named Juarez. G-Force was a commercial success, making over $290 million worldwide. Also in 2009, she appeared in the film Broken Embraces as Lena, the lead character's mistress and assistant who is an aspiring actress. Moira Macdonald of the Seattle Times wrote "Cruz, so lovely she hardly seems real, makes Lena both vulnerable and steely. Lena's life, it seems, is turning into a movie that she can't escape, as men and cameras seem to blur together and her dazzling smile becomes little defense." Claudia Puig of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
described Cruz's performance as Lena as being "superb." Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
noted in her review for the film that Cruz "doesn't coast on her beauty in Broken Embraces, and she has the kind of role that can be difficult to flesh out." Cruz received nominations from the Satellite Awards and European Film Awards for her performance in Broken Embraces.
Cruz's final 2009 film was the film version
Nine (film)
Nine is a 2009 musical-romantic film directed and produced by Rob Marshall. The screenplay, written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, is based on Arthur Kopit's book for the 1982 musical of the same name, which was itself suggested by Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
of the musical Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
, playing the character Carla Albanese, the lead character's mistress. Variety reported that Cruz had originally auditioned for the role of the film within a film's star, Claudia, which eventually went to Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
. Cruz said that she trained for three months for the dance routine in the film. The film generated negative reviews and was a financial failure. Claudia Puig of USA Today commented that while Cruz "does a steamy song and dance," her "acting is strangely caricatured." Chris Tookey of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
made a similar comment, saying: "I know Penelope Cruz has been nominated for a Golden Globe for her camp vamp act, but to me she is unnervingly over the top [in this film], like Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
s Bruno Tonioli
Bruno Tonioli
Bruno Tonioli is an Italian choreographer and TV personality who appears as a judge on the television dance competition Strictly Come Dancing for BBC TV in the UK, and its American adaptation Dancing with the Stars on ABC TV in the US, Tonioli co-created and appeared on the BBC talent show DanceX...
in drag." F. Bernal of Que.es commented, "In terms of its ability to integrate with luck in the cast of a musical, it is clear that Penelope does a good note [in the film]." Cruz's performance as Carla garnered her nominations for Best Supporting Actress from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and SAG Awards.
In 2010, Cruz appeared in the film Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2
Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name....
, the sequel to the 2008 film, in a cameo role. Cruz appeared in her biggest Hollywood turn to date, in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 adventure fantasy film and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series...
, as Angelica, Blackbeard
Blackbeard
Edward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
's daughter and the former love interest of Captain Jack Sparrow. This film had Cruz and director Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall
Rob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award for Best Picture winner Chicago.-Life and career:Marshall was...
reuniting once more since the film Nine
Nine (film)
Nine is a 2009 musical-romantic film directed and produced by Rob Marshall. The screenplay, written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, is based on Arthur Kopit's book for the 1982 musical of the same name, which was itself suggested by Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
. On 1 April 2011, prior to the film's release, Cruz received the 2,436th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in front of the El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is owned by Pacific Theatres and operated by the Walt Disney Company. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres...
. She became the first Spanish actress to receive a Star. Her upcoming roles include Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's The Bop Decameron, and she is set to reunite with Italian director Sergio Castellitto
Sergio Castellitto
Sergio Castellitto is an Italian actor and director.Castellitto attended the academy of dramatic art and dedicated himself to theatre soon after, working with many famous actors such as Luigi Squarzina, Aldo Trionfo and Enzo Muzii...
in his war tale "Venuto al Mondo" as Gemma, a single mother who brings her teenage son to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, where the boy’s father died during the Balkan War. The film is based on an Italian bestseller. The part is a switch for Cruz, who has until now mostly been sliding between Hollywood- and Spain-based movies. “I like that it’s a movie that’s not Spanish or English. [...] I love this part of the job that lets you become someone else with a different nationality.” In an interview with the Italian publication La Repubblica, Cruz commented on playing Gemma, saying, "I feel as an actress Gemma will be playing one of the most important opportunities of my life." After being shelfed since 2007 Cruz's film Manolete
Manolete (film)
The Passion Within , Blood and Passion , and A Matador’s Mistress , is a 2007 biopic of bullfighter Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez better known as Manolete, was written and directed by Menno Meyjes. This is the first film from HandMade Films since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
(originally shot in 2005, four years before Cruz won her Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona) released on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
via cable, satellite, telco and online in June 7, 2011 under the title, A Matador’s Mistress.
Public image
In 2006, she became spokesmodel for the French beauty company, L'OréalL'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
, to promote products such as the L'Oréal Paris hair dye Natural Match and L'Oreal mascara products. Cruz appears in television and print ads for the company. She receives $2 million a year for her work for the company. Cruz has appeared in print ads for Mango
Mango (clothing)
Mango, stylized MANGO, is a clothing design and manufacturing company. Isak Andic is the president.Its goal is "to be present in every city" in the world...
and had a contract with Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
in 2001. Cruz and her sister designed their second collection for Mango in 2007. It was inspired by Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
and summers in St Tropez. Cruz said: "It's been a really good collaboration because they're a great Spanish company and they give us a lot of [creative] freedom. My sister and I have a great time working on the designs."
Cruz ranked as No. 58 in Maxim's
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
Hot 100 of 2007 list, and was chosen by Empire magazine
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
as being one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the world. Penelope was also ranked on Askmen.com
AskMen.com
AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
's Most Desirable Women of 2008 at No.26, in 2009 at No. 25, and in 2010 at No.7 In April 2010, she replaced Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet
Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...
as the new face and ambassador of Lancôme
Lancôme
Lancôme Paris is a makeup brand. Owned by L'Oréal since 1964, Lancôme is part of the Luxury Products division, which offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup at higher-end prices....
's Trésor fragrance. Lancôme has signed Cruz as the brand’s third superstar spokesmodel, along with Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
and Winslet. The campaign was shot by Mario Testino
Mario Testino
-Early Life:Testino grew up in Lima, the eldest son of a businessman. When he was young he wanted to be a priest. Testino recalls being unpopular at school because of his flamboyance. He was good at math and went on to study economics at Universidad del Pacífico, where his insistence on wearing...
at Paris's Hotel de Crillon
Hôtel de Crillon
The Hôtel de Crillon in Paris is one of the oldest luxury hotels in the world. The hotel is located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées and is one of two identical stone palaces on the Place de la Concorde. The Crillon has 103 guest rooms and 44 suites...
and debuted in the fall 2010.
In 2010, Cruz was a guest editor for the French Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine, focusing on larger-size models in a provocative photo shoot. Vanity Fair asked them to pose for a Hollywood issue in 2010. Almodovar described her as his muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
. On the cover of Spanish Vogue's December 2010 issue, she agreed to be photographed by fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh, born Peter Brodbeck, is a German photographer and filmmaker, born on November 23, 1944 in Leszno, Poland. He currently lives in Paris, New York and Arles....
only if her pregnancy not be shown. In 2011, The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported the most sought after body parts of the rich and famous revealed by two Hollywood plastic surgeons who carried out a survey
Survey
-Quantitative research:* Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population* Paid survey, a method that companies use to collect consumer opinions about a product by paying consumers for participating in the survey...
among their patients to build up the picture of the perfect woman. Under the category of the most sought after body shape Penelope Cruz, known for her voluptuous figure, was voted as having the top body with Gisele Bundchen
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...
and Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
finishing the top three.
Philanthropy
Cruz has donated money and time to charity. In addition to work in Nepal, she has volunteered in Uganda and India, where she spent a week working for Mother TeresaMother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
that included assisting in a leprosy clinic. That trip inspired Cruz to help start a foundation to support homeless girls in India, where she sponsors two young women. She donated her salary from her first Hollywood movie, The Hi-Lo Country, to Mother Teresa's mission. In the early 2000s, she spent time in Nepal photographing Tibetan children for an exhibition attended by the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
. She also photographed residents at the Pacific Lodge Boys' Home, most of whom are former gang members and recovering substance abusers. She said: "These kids break my heart. I have to control myself not to cry. Not out of pity, but seeing how tricky life is and how hard it is to make the right choices." A pregnant Cruz showed her support for the battle against AIDS by lighting up the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
with red lights in New York City December 1, 2010 on International AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
, as part of (RED)'s new awareness campaign, 'An AIDS Free Generation is Due in 2015,' which aims to eradicate the HIV virus from pregnant mothers to their babies.
Personal life
Cruz is friends with Pedro Almodovar, whom she has known for almost two decades and with whom she has worked on films. Cruz is known to friends as Pe. Cruz owns a clothing store in Madrid and designed jewelry and handbags with her younger sister for a company in Japan.Cruz had a three-year relationship with Tom Cruise after they appeared together in Vanilla Sky. It ended in January 2004. In April 2003, she filed a lawsuit against the Australian magazine New Idea
New Idea
New Idea is a long-running Australian weekly magazine published by Pacific Magazines and aimed at women.-History:The magazine was first published in 1902 by Fitchett Bros. Southdown Magazines purchased Fitchett Bros...
for defamation over an article about her relationship with Cruise. Her lawyers claimed that "the proceedings state that the article contains a number of false and defamatory statements concerning Ms. Cruz" and she is seeking "substantial damages and is confident that legal proceedings will vindicate her reputation."
Cruz dated actor Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
from February 2005 to June 2006. In April 2007, Cruz told the Spanish edition of Marie Claire said she would like to adopt children.
Cruz began dating co-star Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem
Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem is a Spanish actor. In 2007 he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as sociopathic assassin Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, and has also garnered critical acclaim for roles in films such as Jamón, jamón, Carne trémula, Boca a boca, Los...
in 2007. They married in early July 2010 in a private ceremony at a friend's home in the Bahamas; Cruz wore a dress by Galliano
John Galliano
John Charles Galliano CBE, RDI is a Gibraltan-born British fashion designer who was best known as head designer of French haute couture houses Givenchy and Christian Dior , and his own self titled fashion house.-Family:He was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a...
. Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
reported that Cruz gave birth to her first child, a son named Leo, on January 22, 2011 at the Cedars Sinai Hospital.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Jamón, jamón Jamón, jamón Jamón, jamón is a 1992 Spanish comedy/drama film directed by Bigas Luna and starring Javier Bardem, Jordi Mollà and Penélope Cruz in her debut film. It centres around a young woman named Silvia played by Cruz. According to LoveFilm, the film is bursting with sexual energy and twisted romantic... |
Silvia | Nominated — Goya Award for Best Actress Goya Award for Best Actress The Goya Award for Best Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.... Nominated — Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award |
| 1992 | Belle Époque Belle Epoque (film) Belle Époque is a 1992 Spanish film directed by Fernando Trueba. The title derives from the period in French history known as the Belle Époque .-Plot:... |
Luz | Spanish Actors Union Award for Supporting Performance |
| 1992 | Framed | Lola Del Moreno | Television series |
| 1993 | For Love, Only for Love For Love, Only for Love For Love, Only for Love is a 1993 Italian historical drama film directed by Giovanni Veronesi and starring Diego Abatantuono, Penélope Cruz and Alessandro Haber. It depicts the nativity of Mary.... |
Mary | Per amore, solo per amore |
| 1993 | Elise | El Laberinto griego | |
| 1993 | Enza | La Ribelle | |
| 1994 | Alegre ma non troppo Alegre ma non troppo Alegre ma non troppo is a 1994 Spanish romance/comedy film directed by Fernando Colomo and starring Penélope Cruz and Jordi Mollà. It was set in Santander, Cantabria, Spain... |
Salome | |
| 1994 | Todo es mentira Todo es mentira Todo es mentira is a 1994 Spanish comedy film written and directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero and starring Penélope Cruz, Coque Malla and Jordi Mollà. It is the first in a series of two films with"El Juego de la Verdad" being the last film. Both movies explore the complexities of relationships... |
Lucia | Peñíscola Comedy Film Festival for Best Actress |
| 1995 | Entre rojas | Lucia | |
| 1995 | Party guest | ||
| 1996 | Melibea | ||
| 1996 | Brujas | Patricia | |
| 1996 | Más que amor, frenesí | ||
| 1997 | Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health El amor perjudica seriamente la salud is a 1997 Spanish comedy film directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira, starred by Ana Belén, Juanjo Puigcorbé, Penélope Cruz and Gabino Diego.-Synopsis :... |
Diana | El amor perjudica seriamente la salud |
| 1997 | Open Your Eyes | Sofia | Abre los ojos |
| 1997 | Live Flesh | Isabel Plaza Caballero | Carne trémula Nominated—Spanish Actors Union Award for Performance in a Minor Role (Reparto Cine) Cinema of Spain The art of motion-picture making within the nation of Spain or by Spanish filmmakers abroad is collectively known as Spanish Cinema.In recent years, Spanish cinema has achieved high marks of recognition as a result of its creative and technical excellence... |
| 1997 | Et horne af paradis | Helena | |
| 1998 | Macarena | La niña de tus ojos Fotogramas de Plata Best Movie Actress (Mejor Actriz de Cine) Goya Award for Best Actress Goya Award for Best Actress The Goya Award for Best Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.... Spanish Actors Union Award for Lead Performance (Protagonista Cine) Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actress European Film Award for Best Actress -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-External links:*... |
|
| 1998 | Josepha | Nominated — ALMA Award Alma Award The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field... for Best Actress |
|
| 1998 | Don Juan Don Juan (1998 film) Don Juan is a 1998 film directed and written by Jacques Weber, starring Penélope Cruz and Emmanuelle Béart. The screenplay was based on the play Dom Juan by Molière. The film takes place in a mental hospital.-Awards and nominations:... |
Mathurine | |
| 1999 | All About My Mother All About My Mother All About My Mother is a 1999 Spanish drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film deals with complex issues such as AIDS, transvestitism, faith, and existentialism.... |
Maria Rosa Sanz | Todo sobre mi madre |
| 1999 | Twice Upon A Yesterday | Louise | |
| 2000 | All the Pretty Horses All the Pretty Horses (film) All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American romance western film, directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same title by author Cormac McCarthy. It stars Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz... |
Alejandra Villarreal | Nominated — Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Drama/Romance |
| 2000 | Woman on Top Woman on Top Woman on Top is a 2000 fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Fina Torres. It is set in Salvador, Brazil and San Francisco, United States. The film stars Penélope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Harold Perrineau Jr. and Mark Feuerstein. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes... |
Isabella Oliveira | |
| 2001 | Blow Blow (film) Blow is a 2001 biopic about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, directed by Ted Demme. David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes adapted Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All for the screenplay. It is based on the real... |
Mirtha Jung | Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance Nominated — Razzie Award for Worst Actress |
| 2001 | Don't Tempt Me | Carmen Ramos | Bendito infierno (Spanish) / No News from God (English) |
| 2001 | Captain Corelli's Mandolin Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film) Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a 2001 film directed by John Madden and based on the novel of the same name by Louis de Bernières. It stars Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz.-Plot:... |
Pelagia | Nominated — European Film Award – Audience Award for Best Actress |
| 2001 | Vanilla Sky Vanilla Sky Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed, co-produced and co-written by Cameron Crowe. The film is an English-language remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Abre los ojos , the screenplay for which was written by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil... |
Sofia Serrano | Nominated — ALMA Award Alma Award The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field... for Best Actress |
| 2002 | Waking Up in Reno Waking Up in Reno Waking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The screenplay by Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser focuses on two redneck couples taking a road trip from Little Rock to Reno to see a monster truck rally.-Plot:... |
Brenda | |
| 2003 | Fanfan la Tulipe Fanfan la Tulipe (2003 film) Fanfan la Tulipe is a 2003 French comedy adventure film directed by Gérard Krawczyk and starring Vincent Perez and Penelope Cruz. It was screened out of competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival... |
Adeline la Franchise | Nominated — European Film Award – Audience Award for Best Actress |
| 2003 | Gothika Gothika -Box office:Gothika was released on November 21, 2003 in North America, grossing $19,288,438 in the opening weekend and ranking at #2, behind The Cat in the Hat. It went on to gross $59,694,580 in the domestic market and $81,896,744 from foreign markets for a worldwide total of $141,591,324... |
Chloe Sava | |
| 2004 | Head in the Clouds Head in the Clouds Head in the Clouds is a 2004 drama film written and directed by John Duigan. The original screenplay focuses on the choices young lovers must make as they find themselves surrounded by increasing political unrest in late-1930s Europe.-Plot synopsis:... |
Mia | |
| 2004 | Noel Noel (film) Noel is a 2004 Christmas-themed drama film written by David Hubbard and directed by Chazz Palminteri. It stars Susan Sarandon, Penélope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Daniel Sunjata and an uncredited Robin Williams.-Plot summary:... |
Nina Vasquez | |
| 2004 | Don't Move Don't Move (film) Don't Move is a 2004 Italian film directed by Sergio Castellitto. It stars Penélope Cruz, Claudia Gerini, Elena Perino and the director himself. Both Castellitto and Cruz received critical praise for their performances, as well as several awards, including the prestigious David di Donatello... |
Italia | Non ti muovere David di Donatello David di Donatello David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The... Award for Best Actress European Film Award – Audience Award for Best Actress Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actress European Film Award for Best Actress -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-External links:*... Nominated — Goya Award for Best Actress Goya Award for Best Actress The Goya Award for Best Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.... |
| 2005 | Sahara Sahara (2005 film) Sahara is a 2005 action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner and based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler... |
Eva Rojas | |
| 2005 | Chromophobia | Gloria | |
| 2006 | Bandidas Bandidas Bandidas is a 2006 French/Mexican/American Western comedy film starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson... |
Maria Alvarez | |
| 2006 | Volver Volver Volver is a 2006 Spanish dramatic comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Headed by actress Penélope Cruz, the film features an ensemble cast starring Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chus Lampreave... |
Raimunda | Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival) The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * .... (Prix d'interprétation féminine) Cinema Writers Circle Award for Best Actress Empire Award for Best Actress European Film Award for Best Actress European Film Award for Best Actress -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-External links:*... Fotogramas de Plata Best Movie Actress (Mejor Actriz de Cine) Goya Award for Best Actress Goya Award for Best Actress The Goya Award for Best Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.... Spanish Actors Union Award for Lead Performance (Protagonista Cine) Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :... Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Nominated — Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actress Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress The London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics Circle.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture NAACP Image Award An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.... Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best lead actress of the year.Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts have each won this award twice.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama The Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama is one of the annual awards given by the International Press Academy.- Winners and nominees :The following listing is based on the web postings of the International Press Academy.- 1990s :... Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role |
| 2007 | Manolete Manolete (film) The Passion Within , Blood and Passion , and A Matador’s Mistress , is a 2007 biopic of bullfighter Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez better known as Manolete, was written and directed by Menno Meyjes. This is the first film from HandMade Films since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels... (A Matador's Mistress) |
Antonita Sino | |
| 2007 | Anna | ||
| 2008 | Elegy Elegy (film) Elegy is a 2008 drama directed by Spanish director Isabel Coixet and based on a Philip Roth novel, The Dying Animal. Staring Penélope Cruz and Ben Kingsley. The film is set in New York City, but was filmed in Vancouver.-Plot:... |
Consuela Castillo | Santa Barbara International Film Festival Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival... Award for Outstanding Performer of the Year Award Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture The Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture is one of the Satellite Awards presented annually by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :Best Supporting Actress – Drama*1996: Courtney Love - The People vs... |
| 2008 | Vicky Cristina Barcelona Vicky Cristina Barcelona Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a 2008 romance comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall... |
Maria Elena | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... ALMA Award Alma Award The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field... for Best Actress BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress The Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.... Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle to honor the best achievements in acting.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.This award has been awarded since 1977.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress The National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the National Board of Review.-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle, honoring the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Southeastern Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the awards given by the Southeastern Film Critics Association to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-Winners:-2000s:-2010s:... Village Voice Film Poll Village Voice Film Poll The Village Voice Film Poll is an annual polling by The Village Voice film section of more than 100 major film critics for alternative media sources. Although the majority of the critics work for the alt-weeklies, a number are former Voice critics who now work for the mainstream media or have... – Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 2009 | G-Force G-Force (film) G-Force is a 2009 spy-fi comedy film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Walt Disney Pictures in Disney Digital 3-D. Written by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the film is the directorial debut of Hoyt Yeatman, whose earlier work includes contributions in the area of visual effects... |
Juarez | Voice only |
| 2009 | Broken Embraces | Magdalena | Los abrazos rotos Fotogramas de Plata for Best Movie Actress Nominated — Cinema Writers Circle Awards for Best Actress Nominated — European Film Award for Best Actress European Film Award for Best Actress -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-External links:*... Nominated — Goya Award for Best Actress Goya Award for Best Actress The Goya Award for Best Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.... Nominated — Irish Film and Television Awards Irish Film and Television Awards The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community... for Best International Actress Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama The Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama is one of the annual awards given by the International Press Academy.- Winners and nominees :The following listing is based on the web postings of the International Press Academy.- 1990s :... Nominated — Spanish Actors Union for Best Actress |
| 2009 | Nine Nine (film) Nine is a 2009 musical-romantic film directed and produced by Rob Marshall. The screenplay, written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, is based on Arthur Kopit's book for the 1982 musical of the same name, which was itself suggested by Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½... |
Carla Albanese | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated — Houston Film Critics Society Houston Film Critics Society The Houston Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Houston, Texas, United States. The group presents an annual set of film awards for "extraordinary accomplishment in film" in a ceremony held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston... Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture The Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture is one of the Satellite Awards presented annually by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :Best Supporting Actress – Drama*1996: Courtney Love - The People vs... Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 2010 | Sex and the City 2 Sex and the City 2 Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Patrick King. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Sex and the City, which is based on the HBO TV series of the same name.... |
Carmen Garcia Garrón | |
| 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 adventure fantasy film and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series... |
Angelica | Nominated — ALMA Awards for Favorite Movie Actress - Drama/Adventure Nominated — Scream Awards Scream Awards The Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films. Originally only having Scream Queen and Heroic Performance awards for actors, the personnel awards have expanded to include actors and actresses of all three recognized genres. In addition,... for Best Fantasy Actress Nominated — Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... for Best Fantasy Actress Pending—People's Choice Award for Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast |
| 2012 | Nero Fiddled | Post-production | |
| 2012 | Venuto al mondo | Gemma | Filming |