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Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz

Actor, also producer · Born April 28, 1974 (52) · Madrid, Spain

Oscar winner · BAFTA Award winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · 6 other major award bodies

Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born 28 April 1974) is a Spanish actress. Prolific in Spanish and English-language films, her accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a David di Donatello and three Goya Awards. Cruz made her television acting debut at age 16, and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón Jamón (1992). Her subsequent roles included Belle Époque (1992), Open Your Eyes (1997), Don Juan (1998), The Hi-Lo Country (1999), The Girl of Your Dreams (2000) and Woman on Top (2000). She collaborated with Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar in Live Flesh (1997), All About My Mother (1999), Volver (2006), Broken Embraces (2009), I'm So Excited! (2013), Pain and Glory (2019), and Parallel Mothers (2021). For her role in Woody Allen's romantic drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Cruz won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other Oscar-nominated roles are in Volver (2006), Nine(2009), and Parallel Mothers (2021). Other films include Vanilla Sky (2001), Blow (2001), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), The Counselor (2013), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Everybody Knows (2018), Official Competition (2022), L'immensità (2022), and Ferrari (2023). For her role as Donatella Versace in the miniseries The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018), she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She is the only Spanish actress to have won an Academy Award and to have received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, she won the David di Donatello for the leading role in Don't Move. Cruz has also modelled for Mango, Ralph Lauren, and L'Oréal, and has designed clothing for Mango with her younger sister, Mónica Cruz. She has been a house ambassador for Chanel since 2018. She volunteered in Uganda and India, where she spent one week working with Mother Teresa, and donated her salary from The Hi-Lo Country to help fund the now-deceased nun's mission. Description above from the Wikipedia article Penélope Cruz, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 28, 1974 (52)
From
Madrid, Spain
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
62 on MovieCove · 88 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Penélope Cruz's films like?

Across their 61 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama23 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
18%
Self
16%
Power
13%
Survival
9%
Society
6%
Ideas
5%
Romantic love23 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds13 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 61 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 17 · Serious 19 · Dark 25

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 19 · Stylized 30 · Heightened 12

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 11 · Charged 28 · Intense 22

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 32 · Whiplash 10

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 35 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 13

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 26 · Even-paced 31 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 20 · Engaged 35 · Full focus 6

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 19 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 31

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 29 · Open-ended 24 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

40 analyzed roles

Usually the Shapeshifter: 10 of 40 analyzed roles.

Shapeshifter
10 of 40
Hero
9 of 40
Ally
8 of 40
Threshold guardian
3 of 40
Mentor
3 of 40
Shadow
3 of 40
Herald
3 of 40
Trickster
1 of 40
Show the 40 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
31
Melancholic
30
Romantic
22
Absurd
13
Contemplative
14
Other
62

How their films linger

Bittersweet31 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet34
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous12
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Penélope Cruz's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 38 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Penélope Cruz's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

88 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 40 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Paris Paramount (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Actor

  • Day Drinker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    as Cara Lazaro

  • Bunker(2026)

    as Sofia

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • La bola negra(2026)

    as Nené Romero

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Invite(2026)

    as Piña

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Bride!(2026)

    as Myrna Malloy

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • 313 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • Ferrari(2023)

    as Laura Ferrari

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • On the Fringe(2022)

    Producer · as Azucena

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • L'immensità(2022)

    as Clara

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The 355(2022)

    as Graciela Rivera

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Parallel Mothers(2021)

    as Janis

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Official Competition(2021)

    Executive Producer · as Lola Cuevas

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Home Movie: The Princess Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Prince Humperdinck / Princess Buttercup

  • Lo de Évole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Wasp Network(2019)

    as Olga

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Pain and Glory(2019)

    as Jacinta

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Everybody Knows(2018)

    as Laura

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Thy Kingdom Come (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Thanks

  • Loving Pablo(2017)

    as Virginia Vallejo

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Murder on the Orient Express(2017)

    as Pilar Estravados

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Queen of Spain(2016)

    Producer · as Macarena Granada

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Yo soy uno entre cien mil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · as Penélope Cruz

  • The Brothers Grimsby(2016)

    as Rhonda George

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Zoolander 2(2016)

    as Valentina Valencia

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • American Crime Story(2016)

    Show 9 episodes · as Donatella Versace

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Ma ma(2015)

    Producer · as Magda

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Nature Is Speaking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Water

  • The Counselor(2013)

    as Laura

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • I'm So Excited!(2013)

    as Jessica

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Twice Born(2012)

    Co-Producer · as Gemma

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • To Rome with Love(2012)

    as Anna

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides(2011)

    as Angelica

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Sex and the City 2(2010)

    as Carmen García Carrión

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Nine(2009)

    as Carla

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • G-Force(2009)

    as Juarez the Guinea Pig (voice)

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Broken Embraces(2009)

    as Lena

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Cannibalistic Councillor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Pina

  • A Matador's Mistress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Lupe Sino

  • Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)

    as María Elena

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Elegy(2008)

    as Consuela Castillo

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Good Night(2007)

    as Anna / Melodia

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Chromophobia(2005)

    as Gloria

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Volver(2006)

    as Raimunda

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bandidas(2006)

    as Maria Alvarez

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Sahara(2005)

    as Dr. Eva Rojas

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Noel(2004)

    as Nina Vasquez

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Head in the Clouds(2004)

    as Mia

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Don't Move(2004)

    as Italia

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Gothika(2003)

    as Chloe Sava

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Masked and Anonymous(2003)

    as Pagan Lace

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Fanfan(2003)

    as Adeline La Franchise

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Waking Up in Reno(2002)

    as Brenda

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Vanilla Sky(2001)

    as Sofia Serrano

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • No News from God(2001)

    as Carmen Ramos

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Captain Corelli's Mandolin(2001)

    as Pelagia

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Blow(2001)

    as Mirtha Jung

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • All the Pretty Horses(2000)

    as Alejandra

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Woman on Top(2000)

    as Isabella Oliveira

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Volaverunt(1999)

    as Pepita Tudó "la Maja"

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • All About My Mother(1999)

    as Rosa

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Hi-Lo Country(1998)

    as Josepha O'Neil

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Twice Upon a Yesterday(1998)

    as Louise

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Girl of Your Dreams(1998)

    Songs · as Macarena Granada

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Talk of Angels(1998)

    as Pilar

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Don Juan(1998)

    as Mathurine

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Open Your Eyes(1997)

    as Sofía

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Live Flesh(1997)

    as Isabel Plaza Caballero

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • A Corner of Paradise(1997)

    as Doña Helena

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • El amor perjudica seriamente la salud(1996)

    as Young Diana

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Not Love, Just Frenzy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Laura

  • La Celestina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Melibea

  • Brujas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Patricia

  • The Butterfly Effect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Party Guest (uncredited)

  • Women in Prison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Lucía

  • Todo es mentira (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Lucía

  • Alegre ma non troppo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Salomé

  • Per amore, solo per amore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Mary

  • La ribelle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Enza

  • The Greek Labyrinth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Elisa

  • Belle Epoque(1992)

    as Luz

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Framed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · as Lola Del Moreno

  • Jamon Jamon(1992)

    as La hija de puta

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Crónicas urbanas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Actriz

  • Los mundos de Yupi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as La bella durmiente (uncredited)

  • Softly from Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Daphné / Javotte / Juliette

  • The Days of Abandonment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · as Olga

  • This Man, This Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Martha Parks

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 88 titles, 83 of them dated from 1986 to 2026; peak year 2005.

Biggest box office

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

$1B worldwide

Highest rated

All About My Mother (1999)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

La bola negra (2026)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19862026

Peak 2005 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 36 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 3 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting87 of 88: 80 only acting, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thDirecting1 of 88: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing5 of 88: 0 only producing, 5 with another roleOther crew2 of 88: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

88 titles, 7 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · acting1990s25 · 25 acting · 1 crew2000s25 · acting2010s18 · 17 acting · 4 crew2020s13 · 13 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 31% of 61 roles
920207121722

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

an Oscar, a BAFTA Award and 3 other major awards from 23 major nominations, 2006–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
  2. 2022
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
  3. 2021
    • Venice award, won · Best Actress
  4. 2019
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series
  5. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
  6. 2010
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
  7. 2009
    • Oscar, won · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Supporting Actress
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Supporting Female
  8. 2007
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actress in a Leading Role
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actress
Show 1 earlier year
  1. 2006
    • Cannes award, won

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Penélope Cruz's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 61; across their 60 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 60

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 60

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 60

Midcredits score across 62 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th22
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed21

Most divisive · actor

Bunker (2026)

79th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

All About My Mother (1999)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 60 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Penélope Cruz's work okay for kids?

Across up to 40 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore28 titles10–80 · median 54 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity40 titles30–69 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity28 titles30–83 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs28 titles31–76 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense26 titles20–74 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Penélope Cruz work with?

People who share at least 2 of Penélope Cruz's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; José Luis Alcaine shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles