Penelope Cruz Sanchez

Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born in Madrid to Eduardo Cruz, a retailer and Encarna Sanchez who was hairdresser. As a child she was an obsessive performer, and would reenact commercials from the television to entertain of her family. However, she chose to dedicate her time to dancing. After pursuing classical ballet for nine years at the Spanish National Conservatory, she continued her education under a variety of prominent dancers. Her true calling was discovered at the age of 15 when she smashed more than 300 other girls at an audition with a talent agency. The resulting contract landed her roles in a variety of Spanish TV shows and music videos. This opened the door to a future career on the screen. Cruz made her film debut in The Greek Labyrinth (1993) (The Greek Labyrinth) and then briefly in the Timothy Dalton thriller Framed (1992). The Oscar-winning Belle Epoque (1992) was her third film. In the film, she played one of the four sisters competing for the affection of a handsome deserter from the Army. The film also won numerous Goyas that are the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards. Cruz became a renowned Spanish actress after her three-to-four films per year increasing resume. 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). Her luck changed dramatically in 1998 when her movie-industry comedy La Nina De Tus Ojos (1998) earned her the award for Best Actress Goya. After a few more chances at film in the English language Cruz's first international breakthrough was Almodovar's All About My Mother (1999) where she portrayed an unchaste, yet very well-meaning nun. Cruz was in hot demand both on the Atlantic and west coast, as the film garnered many awards and praises. Woman on Top (2000) was her next big project. The film was an American comedy about a chef who has extraordinary cooking skills, as well as extremely motion sickness. When she was in the US,