Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born in Madrid, Spain, on April, 28, 1974. Raised along with brother Eduardo and sister Monica, Penelope was always fond of the arts, particularly ballet and jazz dancing. Her passion for dance led to her decision to abandon traditional schooling, focusing her time and energy instead on the graceful art of classical ballet. "Pe," as she is nicknamed, may not have her high school diploma, but she is very much educated. Before making the transition to acting, Penelope had completed nine years of classical ballet training, three years of Spanish ballet training and four years of theater at Cristina Rota's New York school. Penelope Cruz's big break in Spanish film came in 1992's Jamon, jamon. 1992 also witnessed her first foray onto international screens, with her role in Belle epoque -- a massive success that garnered eight Goya Awards (Spanish Oscars), as well as an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It was with Belle epoque that Penelope's star power received its first worldwide exposure. In 2008, she starred in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona as María Elena, Javier Bardem's mentally-unstable ex-wife. Her performance has received much praise, and many critics are also predicting she might get an Oscar for the role.[9] she went on to be nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2009 for her role in the latest Woody Allen picture, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’.