Biographic - Sunday January 31, 2016 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Penelope Cruz Sanchez, born in Madrid on April 28, 1974, studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory and later studied under some of the country's most renowned ballet and jazz dance teachers. She first came to prominence when she appeared in a video for the spanish Pop group Mecano before becoming a presenter on a tv show for teens. This led to her acting in TV and movie productions. At 18, she starred in the Oscar-niminated "Belle Epoque" and was soon one of the leading ladies of Spanish Cinema. It was her work with director Pedro Almodovar that brought her international acclaim with 1999's "Todo Sobre Mi Madre" earning a slew of awards worldwide and opening Hollywood's doors to her. She starred in 2000's "Woman On Top" following up with the movies "Blow" opposite Johnny Depp, "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" with Nicholas Cage, and "All the Pretty Horses" alongside Matt Damon. In her private life, she developed a reputation for philanthropy and once donated an entire paycheck to charity. She spent two months volunteering in uganda. A starring role in 2001's "Vanilla Sky" was accompanied by a high profile romance with leading man Tom Cruise, and her subsequent Hollywood credits included "Gothika" and "Sahara" In 2006, she again joined forces with director Almodovar for "Volver," Penelope's accomplished performance earned her a clutch of international awards, including Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. Her starring role in Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" brought her a host of awards recognition- she won a best supporting actress academy award- and a romance with co-star Javier Bardem. They married in 2010 and now have two children. She voiced a character in 2009's animated hit "G-Force," had a leading role in the musical drama "Nine" and starred in the 2011 blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." She teamed up with Woody Allen once more for his "To Rome With Love" appeared in Pedro Almodovar's "I'm So Excited" and starred in 2013's "The Counselor." She starts in 2016 with a leading role in Ben Stiller's "Zoolander 2" and will appear this Spring with Sacha Baron Cohen in "The Brothers Grimsby."

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