Penelope Cruz
Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez, known professionally as Penélope Cruz, is a Spanish actress and model. 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, jamónto critical acclaim. Her subsequent roles in the 1990s and 2000s included Open Your Eyes, The Hi-Lo Country, The Girl of Your Dreamsand Woman on Top. Cruz achieved recognition for her lead roles in the 2001 films Vanilla Sky, All the...
NationalitySpanish
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth28 April 1974
CityAlcobendas, Spain
CountrySpain
It's a good thing to be old. Because when you get older, that means you haven't died yet, right? And when I do get older, I want to have the grace to be proud of it, not to lie about it or try to fight it.
There is a part of your brain that has to stop when you're acting. You have to be in the moment and dare to fly. Words can't be on your mind.
When I was 16 or 17, when I started, I never even considered not doing a project. I just wanted to work.
The thing that really makes me happy is the real work and rehearsing and creating the character and the process of making the movie. Hollywood's not real.
My first fear was about the devil, when I was around fire, something I saw in a movie. I think it's about pain, in whichever form it comes.
It doesn't happen every day, but many nights my dreams are like a movie. I don't see normal movement - I see things in very complicated shots. That's why I do remember many of them.
I try to do as much as possible for every character. Some of them, it is easier to do the research because you have either real examples that you work with, maybe some specific person that inspires you in that case, or the performances from other people, or the characters, or a character from a book.
I remember 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. My parents also took me to ballet school, and there I think I was able to start communicating those feelings or emotions - I danced for so many years.
I really dislike it when the media asks young actresses, normally when they're about 23, how they feel about ageing. There are other things to worry about.
I never felt, 'Oh, I think I look good.' I always tend to be more in the insecure side. And I thought that has always been a way to protect myself. Because I don't trust the good feelings that can come from that.
I learned English kind of late. I remember when I got my first opportunity to work in America, I didn't speak a lot of English, so I only really knew my lines for the movie I was doing.
I remember when I got my first opportunity to work in America, I didn't speak a lot of English, so I only really knew my lines for the movie I was doing.
My favourite actress is Meryl Streep. Oh, and Anna Magnani.
I am not somebody who likes to give advice, or anything like that, unless it's my closest friends or family.