Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz Sánchez is an actress from Spain. She is best known for her work in films of many genres, particularly those in Spanish, for which she has won an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Cruz began her career in dancing, where she trained classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory. Cristina Rota's school provided her with three years of Spanish ballet training and four years of theater training. Ballet, she claims, taught her discipline, which helped her in her acting career. When she was ten or eleven, her father purchased a Betamax machine, which was rather rare in her community at the time.

Penélope Cruz claims that her ballet education taught her discipline, which she credits to her acting profession. Her focus eventually shifted to acting, but the principles she gained in dancing have stayed with her.

Born: 1974
Nationality: Spanish