PENÉLOPE CRUZ on ELLEN and DAVID LETTERMAN
Penélope Cruz (born April 28, 1974) is a Spanish actress. She gathered
critical acclaim as a young actress for films such as Jamón, jamón, The
Girl of Your Dreams, and Belle Époque. She has also starred in several
American films such as Blow, Vanilla Sky, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and
Nine. She is perhaps best known for her work with acclaimed Spanish
director Pedro Almodóvar, in Broken Embraces, Volver and All About My
Mother. Cruz has been awarded three Goyas, two European Film Awards,
and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2009, she won
an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Goya, and a BAFTA for
her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She is Spain's first female Oscar
winner. She was nominated for her third Academy Award in 2010 for her
role as Carla Albanese in the film version of the musical Nine.
JAVIER BARDEM on TIME
An Oscar winner for his chilling performance as Anton Chigurh in No
Country for Old Men (and the first Spaniard nominated for a Best Actor
Oscar for Before Night Falls), Javier Bardem stars as the romantic lead
in Woody Allen's latest film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Here he answers
questions from TIME readers.
ANTONIO BANDERAS on ELLEN
Antonio Banderas, born August 10, 1960, is a Spanish film actor, film
director, film producer and singer. He began his acting career at age 19
with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in
high-profile Hollywood films including Assassins, Evita, Interview with
the Vampire, Philadelphia, Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Spy Kids and
the Shrek sequels. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
on 6801 Hollywood Blvd in 2005. He divorced his first wife, Ana G.
Leza, and in May 1996 married Melanie Griffith. whom he met a year
earlier when they shot Two Much. They have a daughter, Stella Banderas,
born in 1998, who appeared in the film Crazy in Alabama (1999), in which
Griffith starred and which Banderas directed.
PAZ VEGA
Vega, the daughter of a bullfighter, was inspired to become an actress
by a theatre visit when she was 15. She trained at the prestigious
Centro Andaluz de Teatro and her big break came with the series "7
Vidas," a Spanish Friends-style sitcom. The show's domestic popularity
saw her become one of the country's biggest television stars, and she
was spotted by Mateo Gil, who gave her a leading role in his Spanish
thriller, "Nadie conoce a nadie" ("Nobody knows anybody").
Paz Vega (Spanglish) interview at "Cat Run" world premiere red
carpet arrivals at Arclight Cinemas in Los Angeles, California USA March
29, 2011 - Interview by Erica Rhodes
ELSA PATAKI
Elsa Pataky grew up in Madrid and attended the Universidad de San
Pablo CEU where she studied journalism and began to take an interest in
acting. She joined Teatro Cámara de Ángel Gutiérrez, a theater company
in Madrid, and left college when she was offered a role in the
long-running Spanish TV series
"Al salir de clase" (1997).
