Penelope Cruz Sanchez, (born April 28, 1974, in Madrid, Spain), is a Golden Globe- and Academy Award-nominated Spanish actress. Originally a dancer, Cruz first achieved fame when she appeared in the video clip La fuerza del destino for the Spanish synthpop group Mecano. In 1999, she appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's Todo sobre mi madre, which won an Academy Award for Foreign Language Film. In 2006, Cruz received favourable reviews for her performance in Pedro Almodóvar's Volver. She won a Best Actress ensemble award at the Cannes Film Festival and has been nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA Award. Cruz has also donated a considerable amount of money and time to charity. In 1997 she volunteered in Uganda for two months. |
