Penelope Cruz – One Woman Wonder

Mother, wife, award-winning actress, model…oh, and she speaks four languages. Is there anything Penelope Cruz can’t do? The 38-year-old Spanish beauty was interviewed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this week, as she is out stumping for her current movie, To Rome with Love.

Cruz looked lovely in a dark green L’Wren dress with gold accents as she shared with Fallon how she came to the United States. Cruz shared that she first came to New York to study ballet and she spoke no English.

“Yes, I came here when I was twenty years old for two years to live here on and off, to study English and study ballet. I was working in my country as an actress, but I still wanted to dance and I was dancing on Broadway and in school here.”

Cruz then pointed out that English was the third language she learned, as she later learned Italian for a movie. “I didn’t speak any English because in school and high school I studied French, so I learned English really late. That’s why it’s so hard for me to get rid of this accent.” 

She must know, however, that her accent is part of her sex appeal in Hollywood, as she quickly added, “I don’t want to get rid of it completely, but we keep working on it.”

Fallon went on to inquire about how Cruz liked working with Woody Allen again. She first worked with him on the film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, for which Cruz won an Oscar.

Cruz shared that Allen lives up to his reputation of not communicating much with the actors. “There is not a lot of conversation. Not a lot of hanging out,” Cruz said before adding with a smile, “But I adore him. I love looking at him. I love listening to what he has to say. [Cruz giggled when she said that last bit] He’s so funny.”

Cruz also spoke recently with USA Today about her thoughts on Allen. "I would love to work with him 20 times,” she said. “I'm fascinated by his personality. Even a day of press, which is not my favorite part of this job, he makes it so interesting and so fun."

Cruz continued, providing an example. "He only types on his typewriter. Sometimes I've gotten e-mails from him and I say, wait a moment, were they fakes? And he said, 'No, no, I dictate to my assistant.' I love that he's doing things his way."

Allen has nothing but accolades for Cruz as well. He has referred to her as “one of the great movie stars of the world," and said, “She's just a wonderful, natural actress, full of fire and vitality and humor when she wants to call upon it. She is very intense as an actress and does put a lot of effort and work into her role, which I try to dissuade her from doing because it's not necessary in her case, but I suppose it makes her feel comfortable or more secure, although what she could possibly be insecure about is beyond me.” Agreed!

Cruz’s work ethic and humility are part of her appeal and part of what makes her seem less “Hollywood diva” and more “real person.” She is a notoriously hard worker who never forgets how lucky she is to have the job she does.

Her director for Nine and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides said of Cruz, "She's so grateful that she found her way into this business, and she pinches herself all the time that she's part of that. She has humility. So many actresses are good, close friends of her, which is amazing in this business. I never feel a sense of competition from her, and she never says a bad word for anybody. She's ambitious in her own way, but never at the expense of others."

Cruz has admitted that she fears that she will be fired from every set she is on, which she uses as motivation to work even harder.

The actress is also married to actor Javier Bardem, and the couple has a 1-year-old son, Leo, together. They are very private about their personal life and have made that abundantly clear to the media. While living in Spain helps keep the Hollywood paparazzi more at bay.

"I don't care if they take pictures of myself. Children's privacy should be respected,” Cruz said. “It should be illegal to publish pictures of children, unless it's the decision of the parents. For the people who want to give their children the privacy they deserve, it should be illegal. A child needs to be able to go to school and feel like one more in the class. This is my opinion about it. I ask for the right to protect the privacy of that child."

At 38, Cruz only seems to be growing more beautiful and well-adjusted, making her talents flourish on the screen. We’ll definitely be checking her out in To Rome with Love this week!