Penelope Cruz Sanchez

Penelope Cruz Sanchez is the daughter of Eduardo Cruz, a Madrid hairdresser, as well as Encarna Sanchez. She was a performer with a passion in her youth and often reenacted TV commercials for family amusement. However, she decided to focus her attention on dancing. After nine years of classical ballet instruction at Spain's National Conservatory she was able to further her education under the tutelage of a number of famous dancers. At the age of 15 she discovered her true destiny when she outclassed more than 300 other girls at an audition for a talent agency. The contract she received landed her roles in Spanish television shows , and music videos. The contract opened the way to a promising career in the world of film. Cruz made her movie debut with The Greek Labyrinth (1993). (The Greek Labyrinth). After that, she appeared briefly in Framed (1992) by Timothy Dalton. The Oscar-winning Belle Epoque (1992) was her third film. In it, she played one of the four sisters who were seeking the affection of a handsome Army deserter. It also won many Goyas, the Spanish equivalent to the Academy Awards. She continued to add more films to her resume, increasing by three or four each 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). It all changed in 1998 when her movie industry comedy La Nina De Tus Ojos (1998) was awarded a award for the Best Actress Goya. Cruz went on to make several more journeys into English-language films, but All About My Mother (1999) was her first major international hit. She played a non-challenging however well-meaning nun. Cruz was highly sought-after on both sides of the Atlantic since her film won so many awards and accolades. The next major film she worked on was Woman on Top (2000) A comedy from the United States. American comedy about a chef with a captivating culinary skill and a severe case of motion sickness. While in the US,