Profile: Penelope Cruz

5 August 2008 11:31am

Real Name: Penelope Cruz Sanchez

Image: Spanish screen siren who has conquered Hollywood

Birth Date: April 28, 1974

Best Known For: Starring in cult film Vanilla Sky opposite Tom Cruise.

Early Life: Penelope was born in Madrid to retailer dad Eduardo Cruz and hairdresser mum Encarna Sanchez. She was sent to classical ballet school and was talent spotted in a music video for a Spanish pop group.

Her first major film Belle Epoque won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and in 2000 she starred in her first US movie All The Pretty Horses.

However in late 2001 she hit the big time with Vanilla Sky, the Hollywood remake of Spanish language film Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) - which Penelope also starred in.

Career High: Winning the prestigious Best Actress award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for Spanish film Volver.

Love Life: Penelope has a habit of dating her hunky co-stars. Her three-year romance with Tom Cruise thrust her into the limelight. She then dated Matthew McConaughey for a year after they filmed Sahara and was then rumoured to be seeing Manolete co-star Adrien Brody, but now she is reportedly dating Javier Bardem, who she stars with in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Don't Mention: Ashton Kutcher's US prank show Punk'd. Penelope embarrassed her friend Salma Hayek live on television and thinks Salma will get revenge.

Words Of Wisdom: "I like roles that people don't recognise me in."

© The Press Association