Penélope Cruz is a famous Spanish film actress born in 1974. Formerly a professional dancer, Cruz is also known for her philanthropic work. Her first film appearance in Jamón Jamón (1992) coincided with the film’s Academy Award win for Best Foreign Language Film, and following an offer she received in 1993, she traveled to the United States to act in the television series Framed.

Penélope Cruz Sánchez was born on April 28, 1974, in Madrid, Spain, as the daughter of Eduardo Cruz, an auto mechanic, and Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser. Her name was inspired by a song of the same title by Joan Manuel Serrat. She began dancing at a young age, and after being selected first among nearly 300 girls in a talent audition, she left her regular school at the age of 15 to study classical ballet at the Conservatorio Nacional. Alongside this nine-year training, she attended various dance courses for four years at the Christina Rota School in New York and studied Spanish Ballet for three years under Angela Garrido.

After appearing in the Spanish band Mecano’s music video “La Fuerza del Destino,” Cruz first experienced fame and became close to band member Nacho Cano during that period. She later worked as a presenter on the youth television program La Quinta Marcha. Her first film, Jamón Jamón (1992), won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In the same year, she also appeared in Belle Époque. In 1997, she starred in Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes), directed by Alejandro Amenábar, followed by a role opposite Matt Damon in All the Pretty Horses. In 1999, she appeared in another Academy Award–winning Best Foreign Language Film, Todo Sobre Mi Madre by Pedro Almodóvar.

Penélope has a brother named Eduardo Cruz, who is a singer, and a sister named Mónica Cruz, a television star in Spain. She has been a vegetarian since acting in All the Pretty Horses. Fluent in Spanish, Italian, French, and English, Cruz learned Italian in 2004 in order to secure a role she greatly desired in Non Ti Muovere.

Known for dedicating significant time and financial resources to charity, the acclaimed actress volunteered in Uganda for two months in 1997 with her then-partner Faiz Ahmad. In 2001, after starring together in Vanilla Sky, a remake of Abre los Ojos, Cruz entered into a three-year relationship with Tom Cruise, playing the same role in both films. She later won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Volver, and since 1993, she has received numerous awards and nominations.

Following their collaboration in Sahara, Matthew Mcconaughey and Penélope Cruz began dating in February 2005. After announcing a break in their relationship to People magazine in May 2006, the couple eventually separated.

Penélope Cruz married actor Javier Bardem in July 2010. The couple has two children: a son named Leonardo Encinas Cruz (born 2011) and a daughter named Luna Encinas Cruz (born 2013).

Source: Biyografiler.com