Penelope Cruz

Actress. Born Penélope Cruz Sanchez on April 28, 1974 in San Sebastain de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain. Her father, Eduardo, worked as a car mechanic and her mother, Encarna, was a hairdresser. Cruz was born as the eldest of three and a natural performer; Penélope amused her family as a child by re-enacting TV commercials for their entertainment. Although a natural actress, she took up dance for her choice of performance arts. She studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory and moved to New York to dance under a series of prominent performers.

When she was 15 years old, Cruz found her true vocation after beating out 300 other girls at a talent agency competition. Following this early success, she landed several roles as a dancer for music videos and on Spanish TV as the host of La Quinta Marcha. Cruz also explored her more sensual side in the French erotic TV series, Serie Rose.

At the age of 25, Cruz made the bold decision to move to Hollywood, California. Fully in command and on top of her career, she took on the role of a control freak and successful chef in Woman on Top (2000) and as the romantic lead in Billy Bob Thornton's western, All the Pretty Horses (2000), both of which received critical success. Her next film, Abre Los Ojos, caught the attention of director Cameron Crowe and film icon Tom Cruise. Impressed by the script and the actress, the duo created an American remake of the film, called Vanilla Sky (2001). The movie helped make Cruz a crossover success. During this time she also began dating her co-star, Tom Cruise, putting her firmly in American headlines.

Also in 2006, Cruz received favourable reviews for her performance as Raimunda in Pedro Almodóvar's Volver. The film was well received by critics and on multiple top ten film lists for 2006.[69] as well as receiving a Goya Award and European Film Award, and was nominated for the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a leading role. She was the first Spaniard to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

  Cruz's final 2009 film was the film version of the musical Nine, playing the character Carla Albanese, the lead character's mistress. Variety reported that Cruz had originally auditioned for the role of the film within a film's star,[92] Claudia, which eventually went to Nicole Kidman.it is clear that Penelope does a good note [in the film]."[97] Cruz's performance as Carla garnered her nominations for Best Supporting Actress from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

In 2011, The Telegraph reported the most sought after body parts of the rich and famous revealed by two Hollywood plastic surgeons who carried out a survey among their patients to build up the picture of the perfect woman. Under the category of the most sought after body shape Penelope Cruz, known for her voluptuous figure, was voted as having the top body with Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Aniston finishing the top three.

Best Pose Penelope Cruz

In “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” Penelope plays the character Angelica, who is a love interest for “Pirates” native Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp). The fourth movie in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise is slated to arrive in theaters on May 20, 2011.