Penelope Cruz

Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born April 28, 1974) is a Spanish actress. Born in Madrid, Spain, Cruz was a dancer as a child and young teen, and actually dropped out of high school to pursue dancing at National Conservatory of Madrid (majored in Classical Ballet) and theatre at Cristina Rota's School in New York (4 years).

Her looks and style have been compared favorably with Sophia Loren.

Ms. Cruz's first major films were Jamón, Jamón and the more widely known (in the US) Belle Epoque, a film which won an Academy Award for Foreign Language Film.

She also appeared with Matt Damon in All The Pretty Horses.

In 1999 she appeared in Pedro Almodovar's Todo sobre mi madre which won an Academy Award for Foreign Language Film.

In early 2001 she began a three-year relationship with Tom Cruise after his separation from Nicole Kidman. The relationship started on the set of the film Vanilla Sky in which they appeared together.

Filmography

• El Laborinto Griego (The Greek Labyrinth) (1991)
• Belle Époque (1992)
• Jamón, Jamón (1992)
• La Ribelle (1993)
• Per amore, solo per amore (1993)
• Alegre ma non troppo (1994)
• Todo es mentira (1994)
• Entre Rojas (1994)
• Brujas (1996)
• La Celestina (1996)
• Mas que Amor, frenesi (1996)
• Framed (1996)
• El Amor perjudica seriamente la Salud (1996)
• Et Hjørne af paradis (1997)
• Carne Trémula (1997)
• Abre Los Ojos (1997)
• Don Juan (1998)
• Twice Upon A Yesterday (1998)
• Talk Of Angels (1998)
• La Niña de Tus Ojos (1998)
• The Hi-Lo Country (1998)
• Todo Sobre Mi Madre (1999)
• Volaverunt (1999)
• Woman On Top (1999)
• All The Pretty Horses (1999)
• Blow (2001)
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
• Vanilla Sky (2001)
• Gothika (2003)