(1974- ) Penelope Cruz is a Spanish actress. She is the first Spanish actress in history to receive an Academy Award and also the first Spanish actress to receive a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

She started acting at the age of 16 on TV, and at the age of 17 she made her debut in the film Jamón, jamón. She became internationally famous in 2001 thanks to the films Vanilla Sky and Blow. Among her most famous films are Gothika(2003), Sahara (2005), Nine, Volver (2006), Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008) and the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film (2011).

Cruz has modeled for companies such as Mango, Ralph Lauren and L'Oréal, and she has also design together with her younger sister Monica (who is also an actress) for the firm Mango and she also designed jewelry and handbags with her for a company in Japan.

Cruz has donated money to charity and she has spent time working for the needed in different places. She speaks Spanish, Italian, French and English. She was a vegetarian in her youth and has spoken out about bullfights. Cruz owns a clothing store in Madrid.

In 2010 she married the Spanish actor Javier Bardem and in 2011 she gave birth to her son Leo.