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Cruz was born in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, the daughter of Encarna Sanchez, a hairdresser, and Eduardo Cruz, a retailer and auto mechanic. Her younger sister is Spanish dancer Monica Cruz. As a toddler, she was already a compulsive performer, re-enacting TV commercials for her family's amusement. Initially, Cruz decided to focus her energies on dance. After studying classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory, she continued her training under a series of prominent dancers. She received three years of Spanish Ballet training with Angela Garrido. She also had jazz dance training with Raul Caballero and studied at Cristina Rota (mother of Juan Diego Botto) school in Madrid. At 15, however, she followed another calling after besting more than 300 other girls at a talent agency audition.

Cruz first achieved fame when she appeared in the Lucio Villalba-directed video clip La fuerza del destino for the Spanish synthpop group Mecano. She later started a relationship with Nacho Cano, a member of the group. A TV presenter for the teen-oriented program La Quinta Marcha, she also had early exposure in Série Rose, a French erotic TV serial. In one episode she played the role of a blind prostitute and in another played a young noble woman pretending to be a young nobleman in a comedy of errors. She also directed Nacho Cano's video of "El waltz de los locos", in 1994.

Cruz's first major films were Jamaica, jamaica and Belle Epoque, a film which won an Academy Award for Foreign Language Film. In 1997, she starred as Sofía Pangia, alongside Eduardo Noriega in Abre los ojos, directed by Alejandro Amenabar, while in 1999 she appeared in Pedro Almodovar's Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother), which won an Academy Award for Foreign Language Film. In 2000 she appeared with Matt Damon in All the Pretty Horses. In late 2001, she appeared in the film Vanilla Sky, the Hollywood remake of Abre los ojos. Cruz co-starred with her best friend, Salma Hayek in the 2006 film, Bandidas. In 2006, Cruz received highly favourable reviews for her performance in Pedro Almodóvar's Volver. She won a Best Actress ensemble award at the Cannes Film Festival and has been nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA Award. She is the first Spanish Actress to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In May 2007, it was announced that Penelope and her sister Monica would be designing a 25-piece collection for the Barcelona-based fashion chain, Mango. On 7 July 2007, Cruz presented at Live Earth. In late 2007, she starred in the Jaume de Laiguana-directed video for her brother's first single, named "Cosas que contar", along with her friend Mi­a Maestro and her sister Monica.

Cruz has a younger brother, Eduardo, a singer, and a younger sister, Monica, who closely resembles her: a similarity exploited for some Spanish TV ads. In the 2000s, Monica left her dancing career and achieved note on her own in the youth-oriented TV series Un Paso Adelante. Cruz claims to be a vegetarian since 2000, though this fact is disputed. She speaks four languages: Spanish, Italian, French and English. Cruz has also donated a considerable amount of money and time to charity. In 1997 she volunteered in Uganda for two months. After appearing in the 2001 film Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise, they had a three-year relationship which ended in January 2004. After filming Sahara in February 2005, she began dating actor Matthew McConaughey. In May 2006, they released a joint statement to People, saying that they "have decided to take time off as a couple." Later that year they announced that they were "no longer intimate and separating was the best thing to do at this time". At the start of 2007, Penelope Cruz and U2's Bono were rumored as having an affair after being photographed holding hands. This rumor quickly expired. Apart from being a close personal friend of the actress, Salma Hayek, Cruz is also a good friend of Colombian singer Shakira. In April 2007 Cruz, who was single at the time, stated that she would like to have children one day and she feels the need to adopt. "Of course I want to have kids," Cruz, 34, tells the Spanish edition of Marie Claire in its April issue. "I want to have my own kids, but also adopt. For a while I've had the feeling that my life won't be complete if I don't adopt".Cruz is currently engaged to Oscar winning actor Javier Bardem, with whom she costarred in the upcoming Vicki Cristina Barcelona.

• Elegy (2008)

Consuela Castillo

• Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Maria Elena

• The Good Night (2007)

Anna/ Melody

• Bandidas (2006)

Maria Alvarez

• Manolete (2006)

Antoñita "Lupe" Sino

• Volver (2006)

Raimunda

• Chromophobia (2005)

Gloria

• Don't Move (2005)

Italia

• Sahara (2005)

Eva Rojas

• Head in the Clouds (2004)

Mia

• Noel (2004)

Nina

• Bendito Infierno (2003)

Carmen

• Fanfan la Tulipe (2003)

Adeline La Franchise

• Gothika (2003)

Chloe Sava

• Masked & Anonymous (2003)

Pagan Lace

• Waking Up in Reno (2002)

Brenda

• Blow (2001)

Mirtha Jung

• Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)

Pelagia

• Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health (2001)
• Vanilla Sky (2001)

Sofia Serrano

• All the Pretty Horses (2000)

Alejandra

• Woman on Top (2000)

Isabella Oliveira

• Abre Los Ojos (1999)

Sofia

• All About My Mother (1999)

Sister Rosa

• Twice Upon A Yesterday (1999)

Louise

• Volaverunt (1999)

La Maja/ Pepita Tudo

• Don Juan (1998)

Mathurine

• Live Flesh (1998)

Isabelle

• Talk of Angels (1998)

Pilar

• The Girl of My Dreams (1998)

Macarena Granada

• The Hi-Lo Country (1998)

Josepha

• El Amor Perjudica Seriamente la salud (1996)

Diana Balaguer--Young Woman

• Not Love Just Frenzy (1996)
• La La Celestina (1996)

Melibea

• The Butterfly Effect (1995)
• Alegre Ma Non Troppo (1994)

Salome

• Belle Epoque (1994)

Luz

• It's All Lies (1994)

Lucia

• Jamon Jamon (1993)

Silvia

• La Ribelle (1993)

Enza

• Per Amore, Solo Per Amore (1993)

Mary

• El Laberinto Griego (1992)

After filming All the Pretty Horses (2000), she became a vegetarian.

It was rumored that she donated her entire The Hi-Lo Country (1998) salary to the Mother Teresa's children's sanctuary in Calcutta after spending a week there volunteering. This was later denounced by Cruz, according to a Reuters news article in 2001.

Daughter of Eduardo (merchant) and Encarna (hairdresser).

Brother, Eduardo.

Academic curriculum: Finished 2º B.U.P. (2nd. year of secondary school). Had 4 years of dance performance with Cristina Rota, several dance courses at New York, 9 years of classic ballet at the Conservatorio Nacional and 3 years of Spanish ballet with Ángela Garrido. Also had Jazz Dance course with Raúl Caballero.

Volunteered in Uganda for 2 months in 1997 with then boyfriend Faiz Ahmad.

She founded a non-government organisation (NGO) called Sabera Foundation. Together with Nacho Cano and other Spanish entertainers, they have set up a home, a school and a clinic for homeless girls and people suffering from tuberculosis in Calcutta. Two documentary programs were made for Spanish TV on this project. Unfortunately differences of opinion caused a collapse in the project and Sabera Foundation tragically no longer exists.

Dated Tom Cruise. [2001-January 2004]

She was named after the song "Penélope" by Joan Manuel Serrat.

Her sister Mónica Cruz is now a TV star in Spain. She starred in "Paso adelante, Un" (2002) as a young dancer with a famous aunt.

Voted the 7th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine September 2002.

Lived with Nacho Cano, Spanish musician, part of the trio (famous in Spain) called "Mecano", a pop music group. Penelope appeared in one of the band's video-clips "la Fuerza del Destino" and that's where her romance with one of the two Cano brothers that form part of the group along with the singer Ana Torroja begun.

Best friends with actresses Goya Toledo and Salma Hayek.

Ranked #23 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).

Likes to keep stray cats.

Learned Italian because she wanted her part in the movie Non ti muovere (2004) really badly. It paid off and she went on to win the Italian equivalent of the Oscars for Best Actress.

Speaks four languages: Spanish, Italian, French and English.

Was accompanied by Matthew McConaughey to the Grammy Awards in 2005. The couple met on the set of Sahara (2005).

Shares her birthday with Jessica Alba & Jay Leno

Spanish citizen.

Two of her boyfriends have been named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People Magazine: Tom Cruise (in 1990) and Matthew McConaughey (in 2005).

Sister of Mónica Cruz

Bigas Luna was determined to have her starring as the lead character in the torrid Edades de Lulú, Las (1990), but Penélope was only 14. They agreed that she was too young for the role and Francesca Neri was cast instead. Two years later, Luna's fixation with Cruz resulted in her breakthrough performance in Jamón, jamón (1992), her first film, famous for her somewhat erotic scenes. They eventually collaborated again in Volavérunt (1999).

Claims that Victoria Abril's powerful performance in Pedro Almodóvar's ¡Átame! (1990) ("Tie me up, tie me down!") determined her to become an actress.

Ranked as #51 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)

She claims her role in Bigas Luna's Jamón, jamón (1992) psychologically scarred her for life. She was a teenager when she was cast in the film which required her to do nudity and sex scenes.

Named #72 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).

Good friends with ex-boyfriend Tom Cruise. She was one of the first people to visit his new-born baby daughter Suri.

One of People magazines 50 Most Beautiful People in the world 2005.

Sister of singer Eduardo Cruz and actress Mónica Cruz.

Second Spanish performer to be Oscar-nominated. The first one was Javier Bardem.

Is a fan of Indian cinema and has expressed interest in working with Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan someday.

Ranked #58 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.

Choosen by Empire Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the world (#50) 2007.

In 2006, she was earning $2 million per year representing L'Oreal cosmetics.

Ranked #82 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.

Academy Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated British Academy Awards Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated Broadcast Film Critics Association Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated Cannes Film Festival Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Win Chicago Film Critics Circle Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated Golden Globe Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress - Drama Volver (2006) Nominated Goya Awards Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Win L.A. Film Critics Association Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress (Runner-up) Volver (2006) Win London Film Critics Circle Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated Online Film Critics Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated Satellite Awards Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Besst Actress - Drama Volver (2006) Nominated Screen Actors Guild Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated Toronto Film Critics Circle Year Category Movie Win/Nominated 2006 Best Actress Volver (2006) Nominated