Penélope Cruz (born Penélope Cruz Sánchez on April 28, 1974) is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón (1992), to critical acclaim. Her subsequent roles in the 1990s and 2000s included Open Your Eyes (1997), The Hi-Lo Country (1999), The Girl of Your Dreams (2000) and Woman on Top (2000). Cruz achieved recognition for her lead roles in Vanilla Sky and Blow. Both films were released in 2001 and were commercially successful worldwide.

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).
Older sister of Mónica Cruz and Eduardo Cruz.
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.
Was in a relationship with Tom Cruise (July 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 “Un paso adelante” (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”.
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 ex-boyfriends have been named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People Magazine: Tom Cruise (in 1990) and Matthew McConaughey (in 2005).
Bigas Luna was determined to have her starring as the lead character in the torrid Las edades de Lulú (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) made her want 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.
Older sister of singer Eduardo Cruz (born 1986) and actress Mónica Cruz (born March 16, 1977).
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 Shah Rukh 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.
Second Spanish performer to win an Oscar for acting. The first was Javier Bardem.
She is the only person to win an acting Oscar (Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)) and appear in two Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language Films (Todo sobre mi madre (1999) and Belle Epoque).
Has been in a relationship with Javier Bardem since they began filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) together in July 2007.
When she appeared on a Mexican talk show to promote one of her movies, the interview ended with her being sawn in half by a magician in an illusion called “Clearly Impossible”. In this, she was sawn in half inside a clear-sided box that gave an unobstructed view of her body all through the illusion.
Met Javier Bardem for the first time on the set of Jamón, jamón (1992), but they wouldn’t become a couple until working together in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). They also worked together on Carne trémula (1997), but didn’t share any on-screen time.
Magician David Copperfield once sawed her in half using the antique “Buzz Saw” illusion that Orson Welles used to saw Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe in half.
Her role-model is Meryl Streep.
Was in a relationship with Matthew McConaughey (March 2004-May 2006).
Married long-term partner Javier Bardem at a friend’s house in the Bahamas in a small ceremony with just family members present.
Sister-in-law of Carlos Bardem and María Bardem.
Daughter-in-law of Pilar Bardem.
Was in a relationship with Matt Damon (June-December 2000).
Was originally cast as Justine in Melancholia (2011), but dropped out before filming began in order to pursue Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). As a result Kirsten Dunst was cast instead.
Confirmed she is five months pregnant with her first child, by husband Javier Bardem (14 September 2010).
Her sister, Mónica Cruz, was used as her body double during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) due to her pregnancy.
Gave birth to her son Leo Encinas Bardem, with husband Javier Bardem, at the Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles (22 January 2011).
Was 7 months pregnant with her son Leo when she completed filming on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
Was awarded the 2,436th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by Rob Marshall, accompanied by her husband Javier Bardem and Blow (2001) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) co-star Johnny Depp (1 April 2011).
Is good friends with Gwyneth Paltrow.
She and husband Javier Bardem are fans of “Glee” (2009).
Returned to work 6 months after giving birth to her son Leo to begin filming The Bop Decameron (2012).