Penelope Cruz Sanchez

Penelope Cruz Sanchez was the daughter of Eduardo Cruz (a retailer) and Encarna Sanchez (a hairdresser). She was a fervent performer as a young girl, and reenacted TV commercials to keep the family entertained. But she chose to devote her time to dance. After studying classical ballet for nine years in the Spanish National Conservatory, she continued her training under a series of highly acclaimed dancers. She realized her true calling at age 15 after she defeated over 300 girls in an audition for an agency for talents. The contract she got secured her roles in Spanish TV shows , and music videos. This opened the possibility of a lucrative career in the world of film. Cruz made her film debut in 1993's The Greek Labyrinth (The Greek Labyrinth). After that, she briefly was in Framed (1992), a Timothy Dalton thriller. Her next film, Belle Epoque (1992), was an Oscar-winning production in which she played one the four sisters trying to win the affection of an attractive deserter army soldier. It also won several Goyas in Spain which is the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards. Cruz continued adding films to her resume, increasing by three or four every year. Soon Cruz was the most sought-after actress in Spanish cinema. Live Flesh (1997) (Live Flesh) offered her the chance to work with renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodovar (who would later be her ticket to international fame), and the same year she was the lead actress in the thriller/drama/mystery/sci-fi film Open Your Eyes (1997), a huge hit in Spain that earned eight Goyas (though none for Cruz). The luck of her life changed dramatically in 1998, when the industry-related film comedy La Nina De Tus Ojos (1998) was awarded the award for Best Actress Goya. Cruz went on to make several more journeys to films in English, but All About My Mother (1999) was her first major international success. She played a non-challenging but well-meaning nun. Cruz found herself extremely sought-after across both sides of the Atlantic because her film was awarded so many awards and accolades. Woman on Top (2000) was her next major project. The film was an American comedy featuring a chef with remarkable cooking skills, as well as the dreadful motion sickness. While living in the US,