Penelope Cruz Sanchez

Penelope Cruz Sanchez was the daughter of Eduardo Cruz (a retailer) and Encarna Sanchez (a hairdresser). As a young child she was an obsessed performer. She would even re-enact commercials on TV for the entertainment of her parents. However, she decided to devote her energies to dance. After studying classical ballet for nine years at the Spanish National Conservatory, she continued her studies under a group of famous dancers. When she turned 15 she realized her real purpose when she beat more than 300 girls at an audition by a talent agency. The contract she received landed her roles in Spanish TV shows as well as music videos. It opened the doors to a promising career in the world of film. Cruz made her film debut with The Greek Labyrinth (1993). (The Greek Labyrinth). Then she appeared briefly in Framed (1992) directed by Timothy Dalton. Her third film, Belle Epoque (1992) was an Oscar-winning movie in which she played one the four sisters that were fighting to win the heart of the handsome deserter soldier. The film also earned many Goyas, the Spanish equivalent to the Academy Awards. Her film resume continued to expand by 3-4 films per year, and eventually Cruz was an established star 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 the Best Actress Goya. After a few more chances at English-language film Cruz's first international breakthrough was Almodovar’s All About My Mother (1999) where she played the unchaste and well-meaning nun. Cruz became very popular on both sides of the Atlantic since her film won numerous awards and accolades. The American comedy Woman on Top (2001) is her next major film, tells the story of a chef who has both extraordinary culinary abilities and severe motion sickness. While in the US,