Penélope Cruz Sánchez

Monica Cruz Sanchez was born in Madrid, Spain, on March 16, 1977. The daughter of a retailer and a hairdresser, Monica and her two siblings grew up in the predominantly working-class suburb of Alcobendas, just north of Madrid. The family may have lacked money, but they more than made up for it with the burgeoning talent contained within Monica and her sister, Penelope. The sisters distinguished themselves as promising young dancers, and they both received professional instruction; Penelope attended Spain’s National Conservatory, while Monica enrolled in The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) to study traditional ballet and flamenco.

Penélope Cruz Sánchez

Upon graduating from the RAD, Monica joined Joaquin Cortés’ dance company. Cortés is one of the world’s top-rated flamenco dancers, and Monica stayed with his groundbreaking group for seven years until, in 2002, she decided to follow Penelope’s lead and become an actress. By 2005, Monica justified her career shift by becoming a star on the popular Spanish television show Un Paso adelante. She has since appeared in the films L’Inchiesta (2006), Last Hour (2006) -- a thriller starring Michael Madsen and DMX -- and Liolà (2007).

Penélope Cruz Sánchez

Monica was exceptionally busy in 2006 and 2007. She logged hours on four large-scale projects: the Spanish TV series La Bella Otero, and the films Caminando (2007), The Blackening (2007) and Astérix aux jeux olympiques (2008), which also stars Gerard Depardieu.