<p>Pen&eacute;lope Cruz has garnered fame and recognition for her amazing performances and positive disposition&mdash;but as any fan knows, her background holds plenty of interesting experiences.</p>

<p>Born in Alcobendas, Spain, Pen&eacute;lope Cruz has cemented herself as a jaugernaut actress, making herself a household name in both American and Spanish films. The <em>Volver</em> actress began as a classical ballet dancer in Spain's National Conservatory, and after winning a model agency competition at just fifteen years old, her career took off. She made her film debut in 1992 with <em>Jam&oacute;n, Jam&oacute;n </em>and has continued to make a name for herself as a dramatic actress. Her exuberance and charisma earned her work with household names such as Pedro Almodovar, as well as a plethora of nominations for Academy, BAFTA, and Goya Awards.</p>
<p>From her beginnings in modeling and dance to her record-breaking amount of Goya Award nominations, here are some facts to know about the legendary actress.&nbsp;</p>

<h2 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Cruz always had an interest in performing, especially dance.&nbsp;</h2>

Penélope Cruz attends the Chanel Haute Couture Week Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Getty Images.

<p>Since she was a kid, Cruz has always had an interest in performing, putting on recreations of commercials for her parents, per IMDb. She ultimately focused her energies on dance, studying classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory and later training under the tuttelage of prominent dancers such as Angela Garrido and Raul Caballero. In 1992, she studied acting under Cristina Rota just before her film debut, <em>Jam&oacute;n, Jam&oacute;n&nbsp;</em>(1992.)</p>

<h2 style="text-align: center;">She got her start in acting after winning a model agency competition.&nbsp;</h2>

<p>When she was fifteen years old, Cruz took her first step towards stardom by winning a modeling competition famously beating ouot over 300 other contestants. She made her acting debut soon after this in the music video for Spanish band Mecano's "La fuerza del destino."</p>

<h2 style="text-align: center;">She was the first Spanish-born actress to win an Oscar.</h2>

Penélope Cruzattends the 5th Annual Academy Museum Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Getty Images.

<p>In 2009, Cruz won the Oscar Award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in rom-com <em>Vicky Cristina Barcelona,&nbsp;</em>making her the first Spanish-born actress to do so. In her speech she pays tribute to her hometown of Alcobendas, Spain, and expresses gratitude at being able to represent her country at a ceremony that promotes art as a unifier for the world.&nbsp;</p>

<h2 style="text-align: center;">Her sister body doubled for her when she was pregnant.</h2>

Penélope Cruz attends the photocall during the Bal D'Ete At The Musée Des Arts Décoratifs. Getty Images.

<p>Cruz's sister, Monica Cruz, is also an actress and has been in several foreign films. For the 2011 blockbuster <em>Pirates of The Caribbean: On Strange Tides,&nbsp;</em>the&nbsp;<em>All About My Mother&nbsp;</em>actress was expecting, so her sister body-doubled for her. <span>The film&rsquo;s director, Rob Marshall spoke to&nbsp;<em>People</em> about Monica&rsquo;s role in the film at a 2011 Cannes Film Festival conference, saying, &ldquo;We actually asked Monica to help us out with some of the wide shots and some of the long shots when we needed a different silhouette."</span></p>

<h2 style="text-align: center;">She has a record-breaking amount of Goya Award nominations.</h2>

Penelope Cruz attends the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025/2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Getty Images.

<p>&nbsp;Cruz has worked extremely hard to make a name for herself in Hollywood, and has a prolific resume featuring films in English and Spanish. She has receieved several recognitions including an Oscar, a BAFTA, and she reportedly has a record-breaking amount of nominations for Goya Awards, the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars.</p>
<p>She has been nominated for twelve and has won three; two in the Best Actress category for <em>The Girl of Your Dreams&nbsp;</em>(1999) and <em>Volver </em>(2007), and one in the Best Supporting Actress category for&nbsp;<em>Vicky Cristina Barcelona&nbsp;</em>(2009).&nbsp;</p>

5 Facts To Know About Penélope Cruz

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