Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born on April 28, 1974 in Madrid, Spain to Eduardo (an auto mechanic) and Encarna (a hairdresser). Her name originated from one of her parents favorite songs titled "Penelope" by musical artist Manuel Serrat. Penelope Cruz has a sister (Monica) and brother (Eduardo) and is the eldest of the three children. Her younger sister Mónica Cruz closely resembles her, a similarity exploited for some Spanish TV ads.

She studied classical ballet for nine years. Additionally, she spent four years under the direction of Cristina Rota and three years learning Spanish ballet from Ángela Garrido. In 1991, Penelope made her debut in "El Laberinto Griego", and worked steadily in Spanish cinema for the next seven years.

She would go on to work opposite such talents as Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson, but it was her work with director Gregory Nava, who directed her in My Family, Mi Familia, that would lead her to the role that would make her a star.

Penelope filmed "La Niña de Tus Ojos", in a role that would earn her a 1999 Best Actress Goya. Next, she appeared in a Hollywood feature, "The Hi-Lo Country". Her role in the film "All About Mother" by Pedro Almodovar that brought her to the attention of Hollywood. She won the roles in "Women on Top" and "All the Pretty Horses", which are sure to win the hearts of audiences. She has already captivated the producers and directors with her dark eyes and impossibly sultry figure.

Cruz played into English-language film (an example is "The Hi-Lo Country"), but her definitive throwing worldwide was thanks to her participation in the Almodóvar's successful movie "All about my mother", in which she played an unchaste but well-meaning nun. Her next big project was Woman on Top (2000), an American comedy about a chef with bewitching culinary skills and a severe case of motion sickness. While in the US, she also signed up to star opposite Johnny Depp in the drug-trafficking drama Blow (2001) and opposite Matt Damon in Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses (2000).