1. Born in Spain on April 28th 1974 (40 years old) Studied classical ballet at a young age Moved to Hollywood, CA to pursue acting Landed roles opposite the likes of Matt Damon and Tom Cruise 2. EARLY LIFE Studied classical ballet for 9 years at Spains National Conservatory Beat out 300 girls at a talent agency competition, leading up to several roles as a dancer for music videos, as well as hosting Spanish TVs La Quinta Marcha Explored her more sensual side in a French erotic TV series, Serie Rose 3. Spanish Cinema made her film debut in 1992 in Jamn Jamn and played Luz in The Age of Beauty, 1 year later Her resum continued to grow over the years, clocking up 3 or 4 films every year In 1997, Cruz took the role of Isabel Plaza Caballero in Carne Tremulamarking the first time that she worked with internationally renowned director Pedro Almodvar, who, in turn, became a lifelong friend, as well as her vehicle for global fame START UP 4. PERSONAL LIFE After filming All the Pretty Horses, she became a Vegetarian In July 2010, Penelope married one of her co-stars, Spanish actor Javier Bardem Volunteered in Uganda for 2 months as well as India Has 2 younger siblings Eduardo (singer) and Monica (actress) She donated her salary from her first Hollywood movie, The Hi-Lo Country, to Mother Teresa's mission. 5. MEMORABLE AWARDS Won an Academy Award becoming the first Spanish actress to do so for her performance in the film Vicky Christina Barcelona 51 wins in total Actress in Film (ALMA Award) Best Depiction of Nudity of Sexuality (EDA Special Mention Award) Best Actress (Goya Awards) Actress of the Year (Hollywood Film Awards) 6. ACCOMPLISHMENT S Was named Esquires Sexiest Woman Alive in 2014 (making her the 11th woman to be given the title) Founded a non-government organization called Sabera Foundation setting up a home, a school and a clinic for homeless girls and people suffering tuberculosis in Calcutta 7. ACCOMPLISHMENT SSecond Spanish performer to be Oscar- nominated (first one being her husband) Only person to win an acting Oscar and appear in 2 Oscar- winning Best Foreign Language Films In 2006, she was earning $2 million per year representing LOreal cosmetics 8. ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: 2009 OSCARS 9. CONCLUSIONEvidently, Penelope Cruz is a wonderful role model for women all over. She truly has worked her way up to the top from being a teenage girl in performing arts to an Oscar winning actress. Despite her stunning looks, she is taken seriously in Hollywood as an actress with countless roles that portray a variety of personalities. Penelope has pride in who she is, her culture, art and always believed in herself. In her Oscar speech she mentions that where she grew up this was not a realistic dream, yet she never let that stop her. "To everyone in Spain right now who might be sharing this moment with me and feel that this too is theirs, I dedicate it to you, and to all the actors of my country. Thank you very much. 10. "Penelope Cruz." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. Penelope Cruz - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 05 Mar. 2015. . WORKS CITED