Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born April 28, 1974 and she is a Spanish actress.  She has critical acclaim as a young actress from movies she did such as Jamon, La Nina de tus ojos, and Belle epogue. She also starred in American films: Blow, Vanilla Sky, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

        She has been awarded three Goyas, two European Film Awards, and the Best Actress Award. In 2009, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Goya, and a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She is Spain's first female to win an Oscar and the sixth Hispanic to win an Oscar.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen%C3%A9lope_Cruz