Cruz has also modelled forMango,Ralph Lauren andL'Oréal, and designed clothing for Mango with her younger sisterMónica Cruz. She has been a house ambassador forChanel since 2018. She volunteered in Uganda and India, where she spent one week working withMother Teresa, and donated her salary fromThe Hi-Lo Country to help fund the late nun's mission.
Early life
Cruz was born on 28 April 1974 in the town ofAlcobendas,province of Madrid, Spain, to Encarna Sánchez, anAndalusian hairdresser and personal manager, and Eduardo Cruz, anExtremaduran retailer and car mechanic.[2] She has two siblings,Mónica, also an actress, and Eduardo, a singer. She also has a paternal half-sister, Salma.[3][4][5] She was raisedRoman Catholic.[6] Cruz grew up in Alcobendas, and spent long hours at her grandmother's apartment.[5][7] She said she had a happy childhood.[5] Cruz remembers "playing with some friends and being aware that I was acting as I was playing with them. I would think of a character and pretend to be someone else."[8]
Initially, Cruz focused on dance:[5] she studiedclassical ballet for nine years[7] at Spain'sNational Conservatory.[9] She took three years of Spanish ballet training and four years of theatre atCristina Rota's school.[10][11] She said that ballet instilled discipline that proved important in her acting career.[12] When she became acinephile at ten or eleven, her father bought aBetamax machine, which was then quite rare in her neighborhood.[8]
As a teenager, Cruz became interested in acting after seeing the filmTie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) by Spanish directorPedro Almodóvar.[5][13] She didcasting calls for anagent but was rejected several times because the agent felt that she was too young.[5][14] Cruz commented on the experience, "I was very extroverted as a kid.... I was studying when I was in high school at night, I was in ballet and I was doing castings. I looked for an agent and she sent me away three times because I was a little girl but I kept coming back. I'm still with her after all these years."[14] In 1989, at the age of fifteen, Cruz won an audition at a talent agency at which more than 300 other girls had applied.[9] In 1999,Katrina Bayonas, Cruz's agent, commented, "She was absolutely magic [at the audition]. It was obvious there was something ... impressive about this kid.... She was ... green, but there was a presence. There was just something coming from within."[9]
Her father, Eduardo, died at his home in Spain in 2015, aged sixty two, from aheart attack.[15]
Career
1989–1997: Early work
In 1989, 15-year-old Cruz made her acting debut in a music video for the Spanish pop groupMecano's song "La Fuerza del Destino". Between 1990 and 1991, she hosted the Spanish TV channelTelecinco's talk showLa Quinta Marcha, a programme that was hosted by teenagers, aimed at a teenage audience.[9] She also played in the "Elle et lui" episode of an erotic French TV series calledSérie rose in 1991, where she appeared nude.[16] In 1991,[17] Cruz made her feature film debut as the lead female role in the comedy drama art house filmJamón, jamón.[9] In the film, she portrayed Silvia, a young woman who is expecting her first child with a man whose mother does not approve of the relationship and attempts to sabotage it by payingJavier Bardem's character to seduce her.People magazine noted that after Cruz appeared topless in the film, she became "a major sex symbol".[9] In an interview with theLos Angeles Daily News in 1999, Cruz commented that "it was a great part, but...I wasn't really ready for the nudity. [...] But I have no regrets because I wanted to start working and it changed my life."[9] Charlie Rose of60 Minutes noted that Cruz "became an overnight sensation as much for her nude scenes as for her talent".[12] When Rose asked Cruz if she was concerned about how she would be perceived after her role in the film, Cruz replied, "I just knew I had to do the complete opposite."[12]Jamón, jamón received favorable reviews,[18] with Chris Hicks of theDeseret News describing Cruz's portrayal of Silvia as "enchanting".[19] Writing for theChicago Sun-Times, film criticRoger Ebert wrote "it stars actors of considerable physical appeal, most particularly Penélope Cruz as Silvia".[20] For her performance, Cruz was nominated for a Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award and aGoya Award for Best Actress. The same year she appeared in the Academy Award-winningBelle Époque as the virginal Luz.[9]People magazine noted that Cruz's role as Luz showed that she was versatile.[9]
From 1993 to 1996, Cruz appeared in ten Spanish and Italian films.[21] At 20, she went to live in New York for two years atChristopher andGreenwich to study ballet and English between films. She recalls learning English "kind of late", previously knowing only the dialogue she had learned for the casting and the phrases "How are you?" and "Thank you".[8]
In 1997, Cruz appeared in the Spanish comedy filmLove Can Seriously Damage Your Health. She portrays Diana, a fan ofthe Beatles band memberJohn Lennon; she tries unsuccessfully to meet him. Years later, after many failed relationships, Diana re-unites with an acquaintance under unusual circumstances.[22] That same year, she appeared in the opening scene ofPedro Almodóvar'sLive Flesh as a prostitute who gives birth on a bus[9] and inEt hjørne af paradis (A Corner of Paradise) as Doña Helena. Cruz's final appearance in 1997 was the Amenabar-directed Spanish sci-fi drama, "Abre Los Ojos"/Open Your Eyes. She plays Sofia, the love interest ofEduardo Noriega's lead character.Open Your Eyes received positive reviews,[23] and was later remade by U.S. director Cameron Crowe as "Vanilla Sky" (who cast Cruz in the same role and Tom Cruise in Noriega's role), but "Open Your Eyes" was not commercially successful.[24] Kevin N. Laforest of the Montreal Film Journal commented in his September 2002 review that Cruz "has been getting some really bad reviews for her recent American work, but I personally think that she's a more than decent actress, especially here, where she's charming, moving and always believable. [...] There's one shot in particular, where Cruz enters a room in a greenish glow, which is right out of Hitchcock's picture [Vertigo]."[25]
1998–2000: Early American film roles
In 1998, Cruz appeared in her first American film asBilly Crudup's consolation-prize Mexican girlfriend in Stephen Frears' western filmThe Hi-Lo Country.[9] Cruz stated that she had difficulties understanding people speaking English while she was filmingThe Hi-Lo Country.[9] The film was critically and commercially unsuccessful.[26][27] Kevin Lally of theFilm Journal International commented in his review for the film that "in an ironic casting twist, the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz [...] is much more appealing as Josepha [than in her previous roles]".[28] For her performance in the film, she was nominated for anALMA Award for Best Actress.
Also in 1998, Cruz appeared inDon Juan and the Spanish period dramaThe Girl of Your Dreams. InThe Girl of Your Dreams (La niña de tus ojos), Cruz portrayed Macarena Granada, a singer who is in an on-and-off relationship withAntonio Resines's character Blas. They are part of a Francoist film troupe that travels from Spain during theSpanish Civil War toNazi Germany for a joint production withUFA. Cruz's performance in the film was praised by film critics, with Jonathan Holloland ofVariety magazine writing "if confirmation is still needed that Cruz is an actress first and a pretty face second, then here it is".[29] A writer forFilm4 commented that "Cruz herself is the inevitable focus of the film" but noted that overall the film "looks great".[30] Cruz's role as Macarena has been viewed as her "largest role to date".[9] For her performance, Cruz received a Goya Award and Spanish Actors' Union Award, and was nominated for aEuropean Film Award.[31] In 1999, Cruz worked with Almodóvar again inAll About My Mother, playing Sister María Rosa Sanz, a pregnant nun with AIDS.[9] The film received favorable reviews,[32] and was commercially successful, grossing over $67 million worldwide, although it performed better at the box office internationally than domestically.[33]
In 2000, she appeared inWoman on Top in the lead female role as Isabelle, a world-class chef who suffered from motion sickness since birth, her first American lead role.[9] Lisa Nesselson ofVariety magazine praised the performances of both Cruz and her co-star,Harold Perrineau, saying they "burst off the screen", and added that Cruz has a charming accent.[34]BBC News film critic Jane Crowther said that "Cruz is wonderfully ditzy as the innocent abroad" but remarked that "it's Harold Perrineau Jr as Monica who pockets the movie".[35] Annlee Ellingson ofBox Office magazine wrote "Cruz is stunning in the role—innocent and vulnerable yet possessing a mature grace and determined strength, all while sizzling with unchecked sensuality."[36] Also in 2000, she played Alejandra Villarreal, who isMatt Damon's love interest inBilly Bob Thornton'sfilm adaptation of the western bestselling novelAll the Pretty Horses.[9] Susan Stark ofThe Detroit News commented that in the film Thornton was able to guide Damon,Henry Thomas and Cruz to "their most impressive performances in a major movie yet".[37] However, Bob Longigo ofThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution was less enthusiastic about Cruz's and Damon's performance, saying that their "resulting onscreen chemistry would hardly warm a can of beans".[38]
2001–2005: Breakthrough
2001 marked a turning point year when Cruz starred in the feature filmsVanilla Sky andBlow. InVanilla Sky,Cameron Crowe's interpretation ofOpen Your Eyes, she played Sofia Serrano, the love interest ofTom Cruise's character. The film received mixed reviews,[39] but made $200 million worldwide.[40] Her performance was well received by critics, with BBC film critic Brandon Graydon saying that Cruz "is an enchanting screen presence",[41] and Ethan Alter of theFilm Journal International noting that Cruz and her co-star Cruise were "able to generate some actual chemistry".[42] Her next film wasBlow, adapted from Bruce Porter's 1993 bookBlow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. She had a supporting role as Mirtha Jung, the wife ofJohnny Depp's character. The film received mixed reviews,[43] but made $80 million worldwide.[44] Nina Willdorf of theBoston Phoenix described Cruz as "multi-talented"[45] and Mark Salvo ofThe Austin Chronicle wrote "I may be one of the last male holdouts to join the Cruz-Rules camp, but her tour de force performance here sucks you right in."[46]
In 2001, she also appeared inDon't Tempt Me, playing Carmen Ramos. The film received negative reviews.[47] Jeff Vice of theDeseret News commented that "unfortunately, casting Cruz as a tough girl is a hilariously bad [idea]"[48] and Michael Miller of theVillage Voice writing that "as Satan's helper Carmen, Penélope Cruz doesn't hold a candle to her cocaine-huffing enabler inBlow".[49] Cruz's last film in 2001 wasCaptain Corelli's Mandolin, film adaption of thenovel of the same name. She played Pelagia, who falls in love with another man while her fiancé is in battle during the Second World War.Captain Corelli's Mandolin was not well received by critics,[50] but made $62 million worldwide.[51] In 2002, she had a minor role inWaking Up in Reno. It had negative reviews[52] and was a box office failure.[53] The following year, Cruz had a supporting role in the horror filmGothika as Chloe Sava, a patient at a mental hospital. David Rooney ofVariety wrote that Cruz "adds a serviceably malevolent edge to Chloe's apparent madness".[54] Cruz's performance inFanfan la Tulipe, also in 2003, was not well received, Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian commenting that Cruz "deserves a special Cannes Razzie for a performance of purest teak".[55]
In 2004, Cruz appeared in the Christmas filmNoel as Nina, the girlfriend ofPaul Walker's character[56] and as Mia in the 1930s set romantic dramaHead in the Clouds, set in the 1930s.[57] Bruce Birkland ofJam! Canoe wrote, "The story feels forced and the performances dreary, with the notable exception of Cruz, who seems to be in a different film from the rest of the cast."[58] Desson Thompson ofThe Washington Post was more critical; his comment about the character's "pronounced limp" was that "Cruz (hardly the world's greatest actress) can't even perform without looking fake".[57] The film performed poorly at the box office.[59] She also starred inSergio Castellitto's melodramaDon't Move, competing withSabrina Impacciatore for the leading role[60] Cruz, who learned Italian for the role, won theDavid di Donatello for her performance.[61] She also won the European Film Award for Best Actress for the film in 2004.[62]
In 2005, Cruz appeared as Dr. Eva Rojas in the action adventureSahara.[63][64] She earned $1.6 million for her supporting role.[65] The film grossed $110 million worldwide but did not recoup its $160 million budget.Moviefone dubbed the film "one of the most famous flops in history" and in 2007, listed it at 24 on its list of "Biggest Box-Office Turkeys of All Time".[66] Lori Hoffman of theAtlantic City Weekly felt Cruz put her "considerable [acting] skills on cruise control as Dr Eva Rojas"[67] and James Berardnelli ofReelViews described Cruz's performance as a "black hole", that she "lacks screen presence".[68] Also in 2005, Cruz appeared inChromophobia, screened at the2005 Cannes Film Festival and released the following year. Mathew Turner ofView London said Cruz's character Gloria, a cancer-riddled prostitute, is "actually more interesting than the main storyline"[69] while Time Evan's ofSky Movies wrote, "The Cruz/Ifans storyline—featuring the only two remotely sympathetic characters—never really fuses with the main plot."[70] Her final 2005 film wasDon't Move playing Italia. Eric Harrison of theHouston Chronicle noted that Cruz "goes all out" with her appearance[71] and Patrick Peters ofEmpire magazine commented that the film's director, who also appears in the film, was able to draw a "sensitive performance" from Cruz.[72]
Cruz appeared alongside her good friendSalma Hayek in the 2006Western comedy filmBandidas. Randy Cordova ofThe Arizona Republic said the film "sports" Cruz and her co-star Salma Hayek as the "lusty dream team" and that they were the "marketing fantasy" for the film.[73] Also in 2006, Cruz received favourable reviews for her performance as Raimunda, a working-class woman forced to go to great lengths to protect her 14-year-old daughter Paula, inPedro Almodóvar'sVolver.A.O. Scott ofThe New York Times remarked, "With this role Ms. Cruz inscribes her name near the top of any credible list of present-day flesh-and-blood screen goddesses, in no small part because she manages to be earthy, unpretentious and a little vulgar without shedding an ounce of her natural glamour."[74] Likewise, Carina Chocano ofThe Los Angeles Times wrote, "Cruz, who has remarked that in Hollywood she's rarely allowed to be anything more than pretty, instills her with an awesome resoluteness and strength of character."[75] She shared aBest Actress award at the2006 Cannes Film Festival with five of her co-stars, as well as receiving a Goya Award and European Film Award, and was nominated for theGolden Globe, theScreen Actors Guild Award, theBAFTA Award, and theAcademy Award for Best Actress in a leading role. With this nomination, Cruz became the first Spanish actress ever nominated for anAcademy Award.[13]
In 2007, Cruz appeared in the lead female role inManolete, abiopic ofbullfighterManuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez, playing Antoñita "Lupe" Sino. The film was critically panned, andVariety felt that Cruz has "clearly been cast to play the kind of red-hot drama queen she's pulled off infinitely better in the films of Pedro Almodovar".[76] After being shelved since 2007,Manolete (originally shot in 2005[77]) releasedon demand via cable, satellite, telco and online on 7 June 2011 under the titleA Matador's Mistress.[78][79] She also appeared inThe Good Night, playing two characters, Anna and Melody.[80][81]TV Guide film critic Maitland McDonagh noted that in the film Cruz "expertly mines the contrast between chic, compliant, white-clad Anna and funky, street-wise Melody, who treats [Martin Freeman's character] Gary like the world-class drag he is".[82]
In 2008, Cruz starred alongsideBen Kingsley inIsabel Coixet's filmElegy, which was based on thePhilip Roth storyThe Dying Animal, as the lead female role, Consuela Castillo.[83] Ray Bennett ofThe Hollywood Reporter described Cruz's performance as being "outstanding in an otherwise lame male fantasy [film]".[84] That same year, Cruz appeared inWoody Allen'sVicky Cristina Barcelona as María Elena, a mentally unstable woman, which was received with critical acclaim. Writing for theSan Francisco Chronicle,Mick LaSalle noted, "But the revelation is Penélope Cruz, who has never been better in an American film. Suddenly, and for the first time, her stardom makes sense. As Maria Elena, José Antonio's gifted and neurotic ex-wife, Cruz is on fire – hysterically funny, abandoned, passionate, poignant, with a performance full of shading and wide in range. She's as fun and as powerful as Anna Magnani, and beautiful besides. Cruz just needed somebody to turn her loose."[85] Likewise, Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian singled her out for praise, writing: "Cruz, playing Maria Elena, the passionate and crazy ex-wife of a moody Picasso-ish artist, looks as if she has wandered in from a more hefty film entirely; everything she does and says seems to mean more, count for more. This isn't to say that she gets bigger laughs, or perhaps any laughs, but she certainly walks off with the film".[86] Cruz received a Goya Award and her first Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received a Golden Globe and SAG nomination. With her Oscar win, Cruz became the first, and to date only, Spanish actress to ever be awarded an Academy Award,[87][88] as well as the sixth Hispanic performer to have received the award.[89]
Cruz's next film was the kid-friendlyG-Force,[90] voicing aguinea pig spy named Juarez.[90]G-Force was a commercial success, making over $290 million worldwide.[91] Also in 2009, she appeared in the filmBroken Embraces as Lena. Stephanie Zacharek ofSalon.com noted in her review for the film that Cruz "doesn't coast on her beauty inBroken Embraces, and she has the kind of role that can be difficult to flesh out".[92] Cruz received nominations from the Satellite Awards and European Film Awards for her performance inBroken Embraces. Cruz's final 2009 film was thefilm version of the musicalNine, playing the character Carla Albanese, the lead character's mistress.Variety reported that Cruz originally auditioned for the role of the film within a film's star,[93] Claudia, which eventually went toNicole Kidman. Cruz said that she trained for three months for the dance routine in the film.[87] Claudia Puig ofUSA Today commented that while Cruz "does a steamy song and dance", her "acting is strangely caricatured".[94] Cruz's performance as Carla was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards.
Cruz's only film in 2010 wasSex and the City 2, thesequel to the 2008 film, in which she appeared as a banker in a cameo role.[95][96] A commercial success, the comedy film was largely panned by critics.[97] Cruz appeared in her biggest Hollywood turn to date inRob Marshall'sPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment of thefilm series, oppositeJohnny Depp. In the film, Cruz portrayedAngelica, a former love interest ofJack Sparrow, who blames him for her corruption. Cruz was the only actress considered for the role, as she fit Marshall's description. He invited her for the role as they wrapped the production ofNine.[98] The actress spent two months working out and learning fencing for the role.[99] During filming, Cruz discovered she was pregnant, leading the costume department to redesign her wardrobe to be more elastic,[98] and the producers to hire her sisterMónica Cruz to double for Penélope in risky scenes.[100]On Stranger Tides ranks among the highest-grossing films of all time, grossing more than $1.046 billion in box-office receipts worldwide.[101] On 1 April 2011, prior to the film's release, Cruz received the 2,436th star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in front of theEl Capitan Theatre. She became the first Spanish actress to receive a Star.[102][103]
In 2012, Cruz appeared in the first everNintendo commercial to promoteNew Super Mario Bros. 2 and theNintendo 3DS XL in which she played the role ofMario in the ad.[104] She spoke Italian again, this time inWoody Allen's romantic ensemble comedy filmTo Rome with Love, in which she portrayed a street-smart prostitute who agrees to pretend to be the wife of a newlywed.[105] Fond to work with her again, Allen compared Cruz's play in the film with that of Italian iconsAnna Magnani andSophia Loren.[106] While the film received mixed reviews,[107] Cruz was reviewed favourably for her "exuberantly, cartoonishly sexy" performance, whichThe Week cited as a stand out.[108] The same year, Cruz also reunited with Italian directorSergio Castellitto in his war taleTwice Born about an infertile Italian woman who returns to relive her past inSarajevo.[109] An adaptation of Castellitto's wifeMargaret Mazzantini's same-titled bestseller, Cruz portrayed the transitional character at different phases in her life, ranging from her early twenties to her late forties.[110] Despite receiving little praise from critics, Cruz's performance oppositeEmile Hirsch earned positive reviews.[111]
In 2013, Cruz appeared inRidley Scott'sThe Counselor, featuring an ensemble cast consisting ofMichael Fassbender,Cameron Diaz,Brad Pitt, and husbandJavier Bardem. The crime thriller follows a lawyer who, tempted by the lure of quick money, finds himself involved in drug dealing with ruthlessMexican cartels. Cruz plays his girlfriend, Laura, the only innocent character in the story.[112] The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and became a moderate commercial success at the international box offices.[113][114] The same year, Cruz, along withAntonio Banderas, made acameo appearance in Pedro Almodóvar's farcical comedyI'm So Excited, which marked a return to the director's light, campy comedies of the 1980s and 1990s.[115] The film received mixed reviews, but earned a worldwide gross of more than US$11 million.[116]
In 2015, Cruz co-produced and starred in the Spanish drama filmMa Ma, directed byJulio Medem. In it, she plays Magda, a gutsy mother and unemployed teacher, who is diagnosed withbreast cancer, a role which Cruz later cited as "one of the most complex, beautiful characters I've ever been offered, the most difficult."[117] The melodrama was screened in the Special Presentations section of the2015 Toronto International Film Festival,[117] where it received generally negative reviews for its weepie story line.[118][119] However, Cruz was praised for her "aces performance",[120] which earned her an eighthGoya nomination at the30th awards ceremony.[121]
Cruz's first film of 2016 was the American comedyZoolander 2, co-starring and directed byBen Stiller. In the sequel film, Cruz portrayed a secretInterpol agent who enlists models Derek Zoolander (Stiller) and Hansel McDonald, played byOwen Wilson, to help find out who is killing the world's most beautiful people. Specifically written for her persona, Cruz, a fan of theoriginal 2001 film, was one of the first actors to be cast in their parts.[122] Upon its release, the film received generally negative reviews from critics, who felt that it had "more celebritycameos than laughs."[123] Cruz's other film that year wasLouis Leterrier's British spy comedyGrimsby, in which she played a powerful philanthropist, oppositeSacha Baron Cohen andMark Strong. Cruz was reportedly offered $400,000 for her role.[124] The film received mixed reviews, with critics suggesting that Cruz was highly underused and "looking even less invested here than she did inZoolander 2".[125] Also in 2016, Cruz rejoinedFernando Trueba on his Spanish-language period picThe Queen of Spain, a sequel to Trueba's 1998 dramaThe Girl of Your Dreams.[126] Set in the 1950s, twenty years after the events of the original, Cruz reprised the role of an actress who becomes a Hollywood star and returns to Spain to film a blockbuster about QueenIsabella I of Castile. Selected to be shown in the Berlinale Special section of the67th Berlin International Film Festival,[127] the Spanishcomedy drama was screened to lukewarm reviews,[128] but received five nominations at the31st Goya Awards, earning Cruz her ninth nomination.[129]
In 2021, Cruz starred alongsideAntonio Banderas inGastón Duprat & Mariano Cohn's filmOfficial Competition and reunited with Almodóvar for the filmParallel Mothers, in which she played Janis, a professional photographer entangled in a relationship with a married man, leading to an affair and resulting in her pregnancy.[140][141][142] Both films premiered at the78th Venice International Film Festival, where the latter received rave reviews.Parallel Mothers also screened at the59th New York Film Festival, where it was received positively.[143] Her performance in the film was lauded, winning theVolpi Cup for Best Actress and receiving her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, her fourth nomination overall.[144][145]Stephanie Zacharek fromTime stated that "Cruz is astonishing here, in what may be the best performance of her career so far. Janis' fragility and her fortitude are two sides of one coin, and Cruz can shift from one to the other in the merest breath."[146]Owen Gleiberman ofVariety mentioned that "Cruz acts this part with a mood-shifting immediacy that leaves you breathless", with David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter describing her performance as "one of the best roles of her career" and "her most outstanding work since Volver."[142][147] Following the release of these films, she was honoured at theMuseum of Modern Art in New York for her career and achievements in film. Luxury fashion houseChanel returned as the presenting sponsor making for an in-sync affair, as Cruz has served as ambassador for the brand since 2018.[148]
During the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Cruz was reported to have landed a role inJavier Calvo andJavier Ambrossi'sThe Black Ball, a film about three gay men at different times, due to begin filming in August 2025.[158] Ambrossi stated that they had written Cruz's role specifically for her.[158]
Public image
"The most difficult thing in the world is to start a career known only for your looks, and then to try to become a serious actress. No one will take you seriously once you are known as the pretty woman."[159]
In 2006, Cruz became aspokesmodel for French cosmetics companyL'Oréal to promote products such as the L'Oréal Paris hair dye Natural Match[160] and L'Oreal mascara products.[161] She receives $2 million a year for her work for the company.[9] Cruz has appeared in print ads forMango[162] and had a contract withRalph Lauren in 2001.[9][163] Cruz and hersister designed their second collection for Mango in 2007.[14] It was inspired byBrigitte Bardot and summers inSt Tropez.[14]
Cruz ranked as No. 58 inMaxim's "Hot 100" of 2007 list, and was chosen byEmpire magazine as being one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the world.[164][165] Cruz was also ranked onAskmen.com's Most Desirable Women of 2008 at No. 26, in 2009 at No. 25,[164] and in 2010 at No. 7.[166] In April 2010, she replacedKate Winslet as the new face and ambassador ofLancôme's Trésor fragrance.[167] Lancôme signed Cruz as their third superstar spokesmodel, along withJulia Roberts and Winslet. The campaign was shot byMario Testino atParis'sHotel de Crillon and debuted in the autumn of 2010.[168]
In 2010, Cruz was a guest editor for the FrenchVogue magazine, focusing on larger-size models in a provocative photo shoot.[169] Almodóvar described her as hismuse.[170] On the cover of SpanishVogue's December 2010 issue, she agreed to be photographed by fashion photographerPeter Lindbergh only if her pregnancy was not shown.[171] In 2011,The Telegraph reported the most sought after body parts of the rich and famous revealed by two Hollywoodplastic surgeons who carried out a survey among their patients to build up the picture of the perfect woman. Under the category of the most sought after body shape, Cruz, known for her voluptuous figure, was voted as having the top body.[172]Men's Health ranked her at No. 32. on their "100 Hottest Women of All-Time" list.[173]Esquire named her the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2014.[174] In May 2023, she was appointed as the brand ambassador forEmirates Airline.[175]
Philanthropy
Cruz has donated money and time to charity. In addition to work inNepal, she has volunteered in Uganda and India, where she spent a week working withMother Teresa that included assisting in a leprosy clinic.[176] That trip inspired Cruz to help start a foundation to support homeless girls in India, where she sponsors two young women.[176] She donated her salary from her first Hollywood film,The Hi-Lo Country, to Mother Teresa's mission.[163][176] In the early 2000s, she spent time in Nepal photographingTibetan children for an exhibition attended by theDalai Lama. She also photographed residents at the Pacific Lodge Boys' Home, most of whom are formergang members and recovering substance abusers.[176] She said: "These kids break my heart. I have to control myself not to cry. Not out of pity, but seeing how tricky life is and how hard it is to make the right choices."[176] A pregnant Cruz showed her support for the battle against AIDS by lighting up theEmpire State Building with red lights in New York City on 1 December 2010 onInternational AIDS Day, as part of (RED)'s new awareness campaign, 'An AIDS Free Generation is Due in 2015,' which aims to eradicate theHIV virus from pregnant mothers to their babies.[171] In 2012 and 2018, she posed for ads supportingPETA's anti-fur campaign.[177][178]
Cruz is married to Spanish actorJavier Bardem. They met at the set ofJamón jamón (1992),[179] and started dating in 2007 after reuniting forVicky Cristina Barcelona (2008).[180] They were also both in the 2013 filmThe Counselor, as well as inEverybody Knows in 2018. They married in early July 2010 in a private ceremony at a friend's home inthe Bahamas.[181][182] They have a son named Leo Encinas Cruz who was born in January 2011 in Los Angeles,[181] and a daughter named Luna Encinas Cruz who was born in July 2013 in Madrid.[183] She became an advocate ofbreastfeeding in public following the birth of her children.[184]
Cruz had a three-year relationship withTom Cruise after they appeared together inVanilla Sky (2001). The relationship ended in January 2004.[176][185] In June 2003, Cruz settled a defamation lawsuit against Australian magazineNew Idea over an article it published about her relationship with Cruise; the publication had to apologize, pay her legal costs, and donateAU$5,000 (US$3,200) to her nominated charity.[186]
She is known to friends asPe.[11][14] Cruz owns a clothing store inMadrid, and designed jewelry and handbags with her younger sisterMónica for a company in Japan.[7]
On October 18, 2025, Cruz received theAcademy Museum of Motion Pictures Icon Award “for an artist whose career has had a significant global cultural impact.”[188]
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