Bollywood Actress: Penelope Cruz biography

Monday 2 May 2011

Penelope Cruz biography

Biography

Madonna of Madrid or Spanish enchantress, some of the few entitles credited to the Hollywood actress, Penelope Cruz., although the name Tom Cruise was the thing that brought her into the lime light. Still there is more to Penelope than just her role of the other woman in the cruise’s broken marriage with Nicole Kidman.

Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born on 28 April 1974, in Madrid to Eduardo (a retailer) and Encarna (a hairdresser). She has one younger sister, Monica, a professional flamenco dancer and TV star and one brother, also younger, named after his father. Penelope showed her inclination towards performing arts when she was a toddler only with her

Mimickery of TV ads. But as soon as she found her feet on ground, she‘s been skipping along wit dance beats.

She spent 9 years studying classical dance at Spain's National Conservatory, including three years of ballet with Angela Garrido, followed by jazz dance with Raul Caballero plus four years of courses with Cristina Rota in New York City.

Becoming a part time fashion model after beating 300 girls at an agency audition, she packed away her high school books and started pursuing drama studies at Madrid at the age of 15. A quick trail of music videos including one for popular band Menaco, Penelope found herself standing before the Hollywood’s doors.

Career in Movies

Penelope‘s career in Spanish movies kick started with her bagging a role in Laberinto griego, El (1993) (The Greek Labyrinth), a brief appearance in the Timothy Dalton thriller Framed (1992) (TV). Then came the Oscar-winning Belle epoque (1992), in which she played one of four sisters vying for the love of a handsome army deserter.

She ended up getting Goya for the movie which is just as big as academy awards in Spain.

With her outing into the international cinema [Almodóvar's Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

that changed her luck, and her earlier works with Carne trémula (1997) and best actress award winning movie-industry comedy Niña de tus ojos, La (1998) . She was ready to enter the Hollywood scene. This year was seen as marked one in her career with more credit acclaimed movies in her name and her first Hollywood venture The Hi-Lo Country (1998) directed by Stephen Frears.

The year 2000 brought her first starring role in the form of Women On Top, where she convincingly played a Brazilian chef with witching culinary skills. She also signed up Blow (2001) opposite Johnny Depp a Drug-trafficking drama and opposite Matt Damon in Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses (2000).

The crowning glory however was her bagging a role opposite Tom Cruise in Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky (2001). The then recently divorced Cruise found solace in the arms of Penelope which brought the lady under the notice of the media eye.

A variety of movies later namely Head in the Clouds (2004) and Gothika (2003)

in the following years that cemented her stay in Hollywood . with her getting split with Tom Cruise turned out to be in favor of her as now the world rose to notice Penelope’s acting prowess in stead of witnessing her love life splashed over every magazine.

This star has through her work and attitude has succeeded in spreading the message across about her staying in Hollywood for a long time.

Filmography

Manolete (2007)
\The Good Night (2007)
Volver (2006)
Bandidas (2005)
Chromophobia (2005)
Sahara (2005)
Don't Move (2004)
Noel (2004)
Head in the Clouds (2004)
Gothika (2003)
Punk'd (TV series, one episode, as herself) (2003)
Fanfan la tulipe (2003)
Masked and Anonymous (2003)
Waking Up In Reno (2002)
Vanilla Sky (2002)
No News From God (2001)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
America: A Tribute to Heroes (TV) (2001)
Blow (2001)
All The Pretty Horses (2000)
Woman On Top (2000)
Volaverunt (1999)
All About My Mother (1999)
The Hi-Lo Country (1998)
The Girl Of Your Dreams (1998)
Twice Upon A Yesterday (1998)
Don Juan (1998)
Live Flesh (1997)
A Corner Of Paradise (1997)
Open Your Eyes (1997)
Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health (1996)
Talk Of Angels (1996)
Framed (1996)
Not Love, Just Frenzy (1996)
La Celestina (1996)
Brujas (1996)
The Butterfly Effect (1995)
Entre Rojas (1996)
It's All Lies (1994)
Allegre Ma Non Troppo (1994)
For Love, Only For Love (1993)
The Rebel (1993)
Jamon Jamon (1993)
La Belle Epoque (1992)
Framed (TV) (1992)
The Greek Labyrinth (1991)
La Quinta Marcha (host, TV series) (1990)