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
There's a lot of work that goes into it - if you think about how many collections a year that Karl Lagerfeld has to do, with Chanel and all the other things he does - you can't do that unless you are working 18 hours a day. It's really a lot of hard, hard work.
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.
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 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.
I hope that I will be able to work all of my life - even when I am older. It's easier to do that in Europe than in America, because in America it is difficult for older actresses to find work.
I want my son - and my kids, if I have more - to grow up in a way that is as anonymous as possible. The fact that his father and I have chosen to do the work that we do doesn't give anybody the right to invade our privacy.
When you really have the preparation time and things start taking the shape that they need, you have a beautiful feeling that comes from the hard work.
It felt like there is a dialogue between these two movies and these two women. They could be friends and have a lot of things in common, but are different versions of the same girl.
I am someone who worries a lot. I'm always worrying 'what if?' Now I'm a mum - there will be worries for the rest of my life, but they're not about me anymore.
I love ballet, and it's a little boring for me to go to the gym because I'm used to the dancing discipline - it's really hard but much more fun.
I love Salma Hayek; we've been friends for a really long time. I admire how she has come such a long way and always remained grounded and who she is. She never compromises to follow her vision, and she is loyal. Such qualities only mark the great stars.
I always knew I wanted a family because of the way I grew up. Family has always been the most important thing.