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Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz's Relationship Timeline: A Look Back

Penélope Cruz and Tom Cruise met on the set of the 2001 film Vanilla Sky .

Bill Davila / FilmMagic / Getty Images

After meeting on the set of the film  Vanilla Sky  in 2000, action star Tom Cruise and Oscar-winning actress  Penélope Cruz  eventually went on to date for three years. The couple was understandably coy with the media, considering the many false reports that followed their relationship.

For instance, in 2003, Cruz sued Australian-based  New Idea  magazine after they ran an article insinuating she'd had an affair with a Spanish actor. She was vindicated in court months later,  per  Variety , and awarded a $3,200 settlement paid to her preferred charity.

However, despite their desire to keep their romance low-key, early signs of Cruise's infamous couch-jumping tendencies were all over this relationship, leading us to wonder if Cruise's enthusiasm was too much of a good thing. 

"As a person and on film, she invites you in, and she's incredibly romantic, and yet, real, you know?" he  told  Vanity Fair  in January 2002. "I thought, My God, I'm your boyfriend. You're my girlfriend! … Cruise and Cruz!"

Here's a look back at Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz's relationship.

2000: Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz first meet

The actor couple met in 2000 on the set of Cameron Crowe's  Vanilla Sky  when Cruise and Cruz were 38 and 26, respectively. Although the  Mission Impossible  star was married to ex-wife  Nicole Kidman  when shooting began (and not when it ended), he and Cruz have long maintained that their relationship began after the film wrapped. 

"I've never fallen in love with someone I'm working with. It's always been afterwards," Cruz told  The Telegraph  in 2008.

July 2001: Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz are first spotted together

Steve Granitz / Getty Images

In July 2001, about six months after  Entertainment Weekly  reported  that Cruise filed for divorce, he and Cruz made it official. 

"Tom Cruise invited Penélope Cruz to his 39th birthday party on July 6, and they've had a few dates since," Cruise's longtime publicist Pat Kingsley told reporters at the time,  per  The Guardian .

2003: Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz discuss their relationship

Though they were fairly private, Cruise and Cruz were always incredibly sweet when they did open up about their relationship in the press. During a  press conference for  Vanilla Sky , Cruz praised Cruise for his "generosity," adding, "He cares about everyone that is around him." 

In 2003, Cruise  told  Marie Claire  about the "different things" he liked to surprise Cruz with. 

"She'll come home, and I'll have her favorite kind of food made, have a bath drawn. I like doing stuff like that," Cruise said. "She likes my food, so I cook for her. It's always the little things I like in a relationship."

January 2004: Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz break up

Dave Hogan / Getty Images

Although  People  confirmed  the news of Cruz and Cruise's split in March 2004, the pair broke up in late January 2004. Cruise's publicist assured reporters that the breakup was "amicable," and Cruz’s rep said, "They remain good friends and still talk often," noting, "There is no other person involved." 

A source told  People , "The relationship just ran its course, and they decided not to be girlfriend and boyfriend anymore. Through most of the relationship they were both shooting movies in separate parts of the world."

Though Cruz's rep maintained that Cruise's involvement with the Church of Scientology was not a factor in the breakup, a 2012 exposé later provided a conflicting report.  According to  Vanity Fair 's Maureen Orth, Cruz "ran afoul of [church leader David Miscavige]" due to her unwillingness to "forsake her Buddhist beliefs."

In 2006, Cruz defended Scientology (and Cruise) in an  interview with  The Guardian . 

"I would feel bad with myself if I didn't say that I was grateful to [Scientology] because of what I've learned about it," she explained to the outlet. 

Cruz insisted she and Cruise were still on friendly terms, saying, "Tom is a very good man, and I am close to his whole family, his children. I love his children, and his mum, and all of his family, and he's a great man. The people who have been good to me, they are untouchable. I am very loyal to the people who have meant something to me and have been good to me, very, very loyal."

Whatever the cause for the split, the actors  have  seemingly remained on good terms through the years. Though  Page Six reported  the exes shared an "awkward" run-in at a party in 2009, the two were later spotted at dinner in London together in 2015 along with  Salma Hayek ,  per  E! News .

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Vanilla Sky

A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover. A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover. A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover.

• Cameron Crowe
• Alejandro Amenábar
• Penélope Cruz
• Cameron Diaz
• 1.3K User reviews
• 158 Critic reviews
• 45 Metascore
• 5 wins & 34 nominations total

• David Aames

• Sofia Serrano

• Julie Gianni

• Brian Shelby

• Edmund Ventura

• Thomas Tipp

• Rebecca Dearborn

• David's Assistant
• (as Delaina Mitchell)

• Peter Brown
• Jamie Berliner

• Dr. Pomeranz

• Other Doctor

• Third Doctor
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia The scene with Tom Cruise alone in Times Square is not computer enhanced. The production was given unprecedented permission to shut down Times Square for one Sunday. At the time, the news ticker was providing updates on the George W. Bush - Al Gore election. To avoid dating the film, Crowe got permission to change the NASDAQ sign in post-production.
• Goofs When David and Brian are in the car in the beginning you can clearly see that they are about one or two feet higher compared to the other cars, even though they are in the relatively low Mustang, revealing that the car is probably on a trailer rather than on the road.

Sofía : Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.

• Crazy credits There are no opening credits for the film.
• Alternate versions The 2015 Blu-Ray release includes an alternate ending version with a vastly expanded ending. While the events lead to the same conclusion, there are alternate takes and additional scenes (including the scene of David shooting the police officer).
• Connections Edited into Scrubs: My Friend the Doctor (2003)
• Soundtracks Everything In Its Right Place Written by Thom Yorke (as Thomas Yorke), Ed O'Brien (as Edward O'Brien), Colin Greenwood , Jonny Greenwood (as Jonathan Greenwood) and Phil Selway (as Philip Selway) Performed by Radiohead Courtesy of Capitol Records under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User reviews 1.3K

• monk_venkman
• Mar 24, 2004
• How long is Vanilla Sky? Powered by Alexa
• December 14, 2001 (United States)
• United States
• Khung Trời Ảo Mộng
• Bar Building - 44th Street between 5th & 6th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• Cruise/Wagner Productions
• Vinyl Films
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $68,000,000 (estimated)
• $100,618,344
• $25,015,518
• Dec 16, 2001
• $203,388,341

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 16 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Forgotten Facts About Tom Cruise And Penelope Cruz's Relationship

The whirlwind romance between Hollywood superstars Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz was more than just a rebound.

• Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz fell in love while filming Vanilla Sky, but their relationship didn't start until after Cruise's divorce from Nicole Kidman.
• Cruise and Cruz dated for almost three years but eventually broke up due to difficulties with his family and the influence of the Church of Scientology.
• Despite their split, Cruise and Cruz remained on good terms and have been seen together years later, while both have moved on in their personal and professional lives.

When we think back to the turn of the century, we remember celebrity couples, such as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston . Two decades ago, Tom Cruise was in the process of divorcing his second wife, Nicole Kidman . Many forget that he almost instantly found love again in the arms of Penélope Cruz. Their whirlwind romance was more than just a rebound, though. They remained together for quite some time and even planned for the future.

Related: Nicole Kidman Subtly Disses Ex-Husband Tom Cruise While Defending The Oscars

After the couple broke up, Tom Cruise entered a highly-publicized relationship with Katie Holmes , so the memories of the Cruise/Cruz union faded relatively fast. From the time they first met to their breakup, here are all the juicy facts about the would-be power couple Tom Cruise and Penélope Cruz.

11 Tom Cruise And Penélope Cruz Met On The Set Of Vanilla Sky (2001)

Penélope Cruz and Tom Cruise first met on the set of Vanilla Sky (2001), Cameron Crowe's hit thriller, in 2000. Cruise portrayed a charming millionaire who fell in love with Cruz's character, Sofia. Cruz and Cruise hit it off immediately, but there was a something keeping them apart.

When the two stars met, Cruise was still married to Nicole Kidman. The marriage was at its end regardless of Cruise's attraction to Cruz, and nothing happened between them until Cruise was separated from Kidman.

10 When Did Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman Get Divorced?

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman tied the knot in 1990. In the decade they were married, they adopted two kids and starred together in two movies. They filed for divorce in February 2001, citing "irreconcilable differences". The divorce was finalized after seven long months. Afterwards, however, Cruise instantly started flaunting his new girlfriend to the world.

Nicole Kidman has also since moved on, and she is now married to country singer Keith Urban. The two tied the knot in 2006 and have been together ever since.

9 When Did The Cruise/Cruz Romance Begin?

Since the couple started making public appearances so quickly after the divorce, many speculated that Tom had already been seeing Penélope before the divorce was set. Cruz claimed, however, that the romance didn't start on the set of Vanilla Sky , but rather some time later. "I've never fallen in love with someone I'm working with. It's always been afterwards," Cruz said, according to Yahoo .

Related: Katie Holmes And Tom Cruise Agreed To Finalize Their Divorce Settlement In A Matter Of Days

8 How Long Did Tom Cruise And Penélope Cruz Date?

The romance between Cruise and Cruz lasted for almost three years, from 2001 to January 2004. At the time they started dating, Tom Cruise had just turned 39 years old, while Penélope Cruz was 27. Though they had a decently sized age-gap, the difference in age did not seem to bother Cruise nor Cruz.

Fans of celebrities are used to seeing much larger age gaps than that between Cruise and Cruz, so it was not startling to the public.

7 Tom Cruise Surprised Cruz With Home-Cooked Meals And Baths

Tom Cruise loved to pamper Penélope. He boasted that she likes his home-cooked meals, so he cooked for her often. Sometimes, he'd welcome her home with a bath drawn and ready. While they undoubtedly enjoyed a lovely honeymoon phase, the two weren't meant to last.

6 Cruise Planned On Proposing To Cruz

Cruise was so smitten with Cruz that he was seriously considering proposing to her. If she were to accept his proposal, she would have become his third wife. Cruise had a history of jumping into new marriages pretty quickly. He proposed to Kidman only ten months after his divorce with Mimi Rogers was finalized.

Related: Why Tom Cruise Dropped $200,000 In Anticipation Of His Estranged Daughter Suri's Birth

5 Why Did Tom Cruise And Penélope Cruz Split?

According to Standard , Cruz struggled in their relationship because she couldn't fit in with his family or get his children to accept her. Additionally, she was growing frustrated with the fact that Tom Cruise was still regularly talking to Kidman and said that he would always love her.

That is at least what supposedly went on behind closed doors. The official version of the growing trouble in paradise was blamed on the fact that they were shooting movies in different parts of the world. Consequently, it was growing harder and harder for the two to spend any quality time together.

4 Was The Church Of Scientology Involved In The Cruise/Cruz Split?

While many celebrities decided to leave the Church of Scientology , Tom Cruise remains a passionate follower to this day. According to Hindustan Times , Cruz "Pulled the plug on the relationship because she felt that the Church of Scientology was the third wheel in their relationship. Penélope doesn't have anything against the Church, but it just wasn't her thing. She admired Tom's dedication to it, but it wasn't her cup of tea and wasn't something she wanted to give her life up for."

3 Ultimately, Cruz Decided To Leave Tom Cruise​​​​​​​

Between having to listen to late-night calls to his ex-wife and deal with the role of religion in his life, Cruz soon decided that this relationship was not meant to be and left Cruise. Despite their differences, they held no grudges toward one another; Their breakup was friendly and conflict-free. "The relationship just ran its course, and they decided not to be girlfriend and boyfriend anymore," said a publicist at the time.

2 After The Break-Up, Tom Cruise Moved On To Katie Holmes​​​​​​​

Cruise wasn't lonely for long after Cruz broke up with him in 2004. By the time 2005 rolled around, he was already seeing Katie Holmes. The two got married and welcomed their daughter Suri in 2006. The two have since divorced.

As for Penélope after the break-up, she busied herself by shooting movies, such as Sahara in 2005 and Volver in 2006.

1 Tom Cruise And Penélope Cruz Remained Friendly After The Break-Up​​​​​​​

It's been more than a decade since the couple has broken up. Cruz is now married to Javier Bardem and has two children with him. There seems to remain no animosity between Cruise and Cruz. In 2015, they were spotted dining together in London, accompanied by Salma Hayek.

Tom Cruise is hard at work making more Mission: Impossible films, while Penélope Cruz was recently honored with a nomination for Best Actress at the 94th Academy Awards. Tom Cruise was rumored to be dating his Mission: Impossible 7 co-star Hayley Atwell in 2021, but neither of them ever confirmed the relationship, and reports suggest that they have since broken up.

A Look Back At Tom Cruise And Penelope Cruz's Y2K Romance

The dating history of Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise has always fascinated the tabloids. This is especially true considering he has been connected to some of film's biggest names, such as Oscar award winner Nicole Kidman. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise married in 1990 and welcomed two children before Cruise filed for divorce in 2001. Just months before choosing to end his marriage, "The Mummy" star met his next partner, Penelope Cruz.

Though they'd been acquainted prior, it wasn't until after Cruise invited Cruz to his birthday party in July 2001 that the two began dating. Once crowned Hello! Magazine's Most Attractive Couple Of The Year , Cruz and Cruise embarked on a three-year relationship that was filled with affection. Cruise even confided in Marie Claire that he enjoyed packing on the romance for his girlfriend, including whipping up home-cooked meals and running baths for her. While things appeared promising, the pair ended their relationship in 2004. Though they reportedly remained friends, it seems that their split may have been a bit bumpy.

The couple met while working together on Vanilla Sky

Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise first met through their work in the romance thriller, "Vanilla Sky." Ironically enough, the two portrayed love interests, Sofia Serrano and David Aames. During a January 2002 press run for the film, the two praised one another in front of media cameras. Cruise stated he'd appreciated Cruz's compassion, while she admired his generosity with everyone he seemed to encounter. Though it would be easy to assume that this immediately sent sparks between them, that was simply not the case. Years after their breakup, Cruz explained that she never mixes business with pleasure on set.

"I've never fallen in love with someone I'm working with. It's always been afterward. If something becomes friendship, then maybe months later, it becomes something else, but you can never know," she explained to The Telegraph in 2008, four years after the breakup.

Cruz may have been jealous of Cruise's relationship with Nicole Kidman

Penelope Cruz chose to split from Tom Crusie in 2004, and it may have had something to do with Cruise's ex-wife, Nicole Kidman. Though she was reportedly devastated by their divorce and even tried to convince him to stay in the marriage, Cruise expressed his love for Kidman. This allegedly didn't sit well with Cruz, who caught wind of deep conversations the exes were having when she was not around. It also didn't help that Kidman's and Cruise's children supposedly weren't bonding well with Cruz. However, once the split was announced in March 2004, a representative for Cruz seemingly dismissed these claims, telling People , "There is no other person involved."

After People's Sexiest Man Alive alum moved on from Cruz, he married "Alone Together" star Katie Holmes in 2005, though the relationship fizzled by 2012. Cruz walked down the aisle with actor Javier Bardem in 2010, whom she remains with today. Years later, the old flames were spotted dining in London in February 2015 with Cruz's good friend, Salma Hayek. Even after parting ways, it appears there is no bad blood between Cruz and Cruise.

The Untold Truth Of Vanilla Sky

Released in the United States on December 10, 2001 , "Vanilla Sky" is a tragically beautiful and surreal story about a man who's been living the dream his entire life, but now he's finally waking up and finding the process to be more difficult than you'd typically imagine. It stars Tom Cruise as protagonist David Aames, a publishing magnate who never knew real love before meeting Sofia (Penélope Cruz), a dental assistant with the kind of simple life he could never attain.

Following a car wreck caused by jilted lover Julie (Cameron Diaz), David becomes disfigured. Without his good looks, he finds it difficult to believe that anyone would want to be with him, and he ruins his social and professional life. Things only get more complicated and poignant from there as the film slides into the realm of science fiction that perfectly encapsulates everything incredible about the story while still sneaking up on you.

After two decades, the public has had a chance to reconsider writer-director Cameron Crowe's divisive masterpiece (based on the 1997 film "Abre Los Ojos") and finally appreciate it for the unconventional, big-screen tone poem that it is. To honor that, we'll be exploring some lesser-known behind-the-scenes details you may not be familiar with. So, open your eyes and venture into the untold truth of "Vanilla Sky." Warning — there are spoilers below.

Remixing Abre Los Ojos

In the mini-documentary on the making of "Vanilla Sky" called " Prelude to a Dream ," Cameron Crowe describes his experience of seeing "Abre Los Ojos" for the first time, saying, "I couldn't get it out of my mind. The movie felt like a folk song to me; part fable, part poem, partly a committed conversation that you'd have with someone late at night, when big ideas flowed easily. I wanted to be a part of that conversation."

The title of the original film translates in English to "Open Your Eyes," and  the opening of "Vanilla Sky" begins with a shot over New York City, with the voice of Penélope Cruz saying "abre los ojos" before transitioning to "open your eyes." This is an obvious reference to the original film. Not only does "Abre Los Ojos" begin the exact same way (in a different location and without the English), but speaking the original film's title is almost a way of acknowledging what came before, then shifting into something new.

Both films are very similar. Obviously, the subject matter is the same, and the overall structure is the same, but many of the specifics are different. While "Abre Los Ojos" is in many ways a traditional film with a unique narrative, "Vanilla Sky" is a stranger, more personal film. As Crowe is reported as saying on his official website , "Vanilla Sky" is more of a re mix than a re make.

Alejandro Amenabar knew Tom Cruise would be in it

When you're telling a story about someone with an unbelievably privileged lifestyle, more money than they could ever know what to do with, and no idea just how many people they touch on a daily basis, you need to cast a movie star like Tom Cruise. "Abre Los Ojos" co-writer and director Alejandro Amenábar knew this long before he had any idea that Hollywood would come around looking to remake it one day.

According to an interview he did with The Hollywood Interview , Alejandro stated as much when describing his reaction to the prospect of Cameron Crowe and Tom Cruise remaking it. He said, "I felt very honored and very excited. Actually, when we were writing the Spanish version, I remember that we thought, 'If this were in America, Tom would play the lead role.'"

However, he did also point out one issue he had with Cruise's look in the film. "My biggest peeve with 'Vanilla Sky' is that when Cruise has the disfiguring accident that is supposed to ruin his life and any possibility of real romance ... he still sort of looks like Tom Cruise but with some scars. Some guys would still be happy looking like that."

A dialogue between two films

In interviews during the promotion of "Vanilla Sky," both Cameron Crowe and Tom Cruise brought up this idea of "Abre Los Ojos" and their film engaging in a conversation. For instance, Cruise told reporter Bobbie Wygant that he was intrigued by the idea of recreating a movie with a new take, similar to theater. "In theater ... you do the plays over and over again. This film, although it was Spanish, it deals in universal themes, and it's not cultural dependent. I also thought it would be interesting to have another version of that and to have the two films have a dialogue with each other."

While also talking to Wygant, Cameron Crowe elaborated some more, saying, "We wanted to honor the original, you know? And change the tone of it at times and expand some of the characters. ... I just figured there's one way to remake a movie, which is to start from scratch. And the other way is to try and be a fan of what made the original great and also start a dialogue with it. Which is what we went for."

This goes along with the idea of "Vanilla Sky" really working as a remix of the original film — taking its concepts and putting them through a new filter and exploring different avenues. In that way, both films are talking about the same subject matter but coming at it from a different direction.

Penelope Cruz put more of herself in Sophia

The character of Sophia almost falls into the trope of the manic pixie dream girl thanks to her quirky behavior and optimism. However, we see enough depth there to suggest a genuine human being beneath. Besides, she literally is a dream girl through most of the movie, so it's understandable. Penélope Cruz played Sophia in "Abre Los Ojos" and was apparently  very interested in the idea of playing her again.

While appearing on "Charlie Rose,"  Cameron Crowe confirmed Cruz's enthusiasm for returning. Rose said, "Even though the character is not the same, Penélope basically plays Sophia in both films and says if you don't cast her in your film, she's bringing over an Uzi and taking you out. Is that about right?" Cameron joked that's why he knew he had to meet her right away.

Perhaps more interesting, though, is the way in which Cruz decided to alter her performance. Crowe described the process of working with her to craft this new rendition of Sophia to ScreenSlam, saying, "There's a lot of Penélope in the character of Sophia in our movie. Penélope was a dancer for 14 years. She lived in New York and had many jobs to keep afloat there. There were some lines in the movie that she thought of. I like that this Sophia was a little like Penélope herself."

Cameron Diaz riveted Crowe

Played by Cameron Diaz , Julie is an integral part of "Vanilla Sky." We first meet her in David's bed. Her excitement over being with him juxtaposed against his barely veiled indifference to her makes it obvious that she has feelings for him that he has no intention of reciprocating. When they meet later, things take a horrific turn as Julie lets him know just how she feels about him taking advantage of her.

It's a difficult part to play. You risk coming across as unhinged and campy when the audience should be seeing you as heartbroken and afraid. As far as Cameron Crowe is concerned, Diaz (who'd just been filming "Gangs of New York" in Italy) pulled it off perfectly. Talking to People during the 20th anniversary of the film, Cameron said, "I just remember those electric blue eyes that matched the car that she drove and her kinetic energy that she brought from Italy."

Crowe believes she pulled not only from all her experience as a performer but the exhaustion of travel to help film the scene where David gets in her car, sealing his fate. "We didn't have a lot of time and what happened was something about the exhaustion of not having the time off and having come straight from Italy, something came out," he said. "She used all of her skill to both use all of her craft, but she also used all of her exhaustion, and it's riveting."

A tale of two cameos

As if you needed more proof that David Aames is incredibly famous in the world of "Vanilla Sky," none other than filmmaker extraordinaire Steven Spielberg shows up in a scene and wishes him a happy birthday. And as it turns out, Spielberg's appearance resulted in a bit of a cameo trade.

Not long after "Vanilla Sky" was released, Spielberg's "Minority Report" — also starring Tom Cruise — hit theaters. In this sci-fi flick, during a scene where Cruise's character is trying to travel on a train without being noticed, a curious passenger reading the newspaper takes an interest in him. This stranger was played by Cameron Crowe. On his website , Crowe discussed the cameo exchange.

"Steven Spielberg came to the 'Vanilla Sky' set one day to visit Tom Cruise, and I urged him to walk into the birthday sequence we were filming," Crowe explained. "He was a big hit, improvised dialogue, stayed a couple hours, and left threatening to put me into 'Minority Report.'" Initially, Spielberg wanted Crowe to play a homeless man. However, he later changed his role to a businessman and sat Cameron Diaz behind him.

They really shut down Times Square

"Vanilla Sky" has the audience questioning reality before they even have a chance to get comfortable in their seats, kicking things off with a dream that perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the film. David Aames wakes up to find New York City is eerily silent. He drives through Manhattan streets that are completely devoid of people. Seeking some semblance of life, he heads to Times Square (a notoriously crowded and noisy place) and doesn't encounter a soul.

Back at the turn of the 21st century, pulling a shot like that off digitally wasn't an option. So they had to actually empty Times Square for real. Cameron Crowe told Vulture that filming that scene in Times Square was always set in stone. All they had to do was get permission and stick to a strict plan. "We started preparing the movie, and very early on, our producers Don Lee and Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise went to see Rudy Giuliani and his people to see if we could do this," Crowe said.

The one condition was Crowe couldn't do as many takes as he usually would because they only had three hours. They planned the shot for weeks, often rehearsing it after filming other scenes. When the day came, it was a strange sight. "It was empty almost as far as you could see. Unbelievable." Everything went off without a hitch, and they even finished shooting early.

Nancy Wilson helped with more than just score

Other than being the guitarist for Heart, Nancy Wilson is also a film composer . During her marriage to Cameron Crowe, she composed the scores for three of his films: "Almost Famous," "Vanilla Sky," and "Elizabethtown." Given her status as a rock icon and his history as a rock journalist, it's easy to see why their professional collaborations were so successful. Wilson gave her own explanation for why they worked so well together to Eric Blair on the red carpet for "Vanilla Sky."

"We really identify with the same stuff musically," Wilson said, "because we're sort of from the same generation ... we communicate in ESP, pretty much." She also admitted that the score wasn't the only musical area of the film that she had a hand in. When asked if she helped pick any of the songs on the soundtrack, she said, "Some of it. I mean, ultimately Cameron had the most killer ideas."

However, according to the soundtrack's liner notes , Wilson and Crowe both wrote a song (with lyrics and everything) for the film called "I Fall Apart" and credited it to Julie, Cameron Diaz's character.

Vanilla Sky's original ending

The ending of "Vanilla Sky" is one of those classic movie endings that can be debated for ages, which was done by design. However, the original ending likely would've resulted in even more discourse, according to Crowe. He told Film School Rejects that because production on the film happened so quickly, they didn't have time to question things — they just went for it. After showing the film to test audiences, they decided to trim to ending down and make it a little more streamlined.

"It's a different version of the same ending, but it's a little more challenging and less is explained," Crowe said. "You want people to understand what you're going for, so the question is, looking at both endings: Did the pendulum swing too much in the direction of us explaining stuff? I think it did."

When watching the original ending , you can see how different it was. In the theatrical version of the film, David learns about his dream, has a mini-meltdown, and is greeted by tech support in the form of Edmund Ventura (Noah Taylor). Originally, the meltdown continued and escalated to such a degree that David would have a shoot-out with the security guard played by Michael Shannon. It's a wild clash of tones that doesn't quite solidify. The version we got back in 2001 is still ambiguous, but everything is more focused. There is a quiet acceptance to it that eases the audience into these heady ideas.

Crowe's secret theory

Although the film's ending was augmented to give the audience a clearer understanding of what's happening, it still leaves plenty of questions for curious viewers to chew on. If taken literally, the movie is split in two: David Aames' life before the car wreck and his unnaturally prolonged dream afterward. Then again, you could also see it as one long dream from beginning to end. Sophia never existed, there was no wreck, no Life Extension — just one guy struggling with the demons hiding in his subconscious.

On the commentary for the film, Cameron Crowe isn't interested in providing a definitive answer. To him, the questions are the interesting part. He does, however, offer a few possible interpretations — including a personal one of his own involving Jason Lee's character, Brian. 

If you've seen the film, then you remember that Brian is a struggling writer who sometimes yearns to live David's life. In Brian's view, the drawback to David's existence is that he's never experienced heartbreak and pain. In that way, he's never known true love. Throughout the movie, Brian explains that the sweet things in life ain't as sweet without the sour, but David doesn't understand what he means until the end. Cameron's "secret" interpretation is that "Vanilla Sky" is Brian's book, and he wrote it to show David what true love feels like.

The 9/11 effect

We can theorize about why "Vanilla Sky" was so divisive at the time , but chances are it would've split critics and audiences regardless of its release date. Delving into the nature of life through the subconscious isn't something general audiences are too keen on, and some critics are so caught up in the "rules" of storytelling that the film never would have connected with them. That's not to say, however, that its release date had no effect on the audience's reaction.

While talking to Film School Rejects , Crowe pointed out that he thought seeing the film so soon after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 bothered some people. If you recall, the ending of the film takes place atop a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. Just over Edmund's shoulder, the Twin Towers (which were destroyed in the attacks) are clearly visible. Of their inclusion, Crowe said, "There was a big discussion about taking them out, but my feeling was we shouldn't destroy them again, they should be there, and live on."

Also, the fact that one of the last images of the film is of a man leaping from a building made people feel a mix of emotions. "The days right after 9/11 when we were showing the movie," Crowe said, "when Tom jumps off that building, you could feel the wave go over the audience. People were electrified, whether positive or negative. That was kind of amazing."

Vanilla Sky is not the movie you think it is

The marketing for "Vanilla Sky" didn't exactly give audiences a clear picture of what to expect when walking into theaters back in 2001. Watching the theatrical trailer now is baffling, as it chose to focus primarily on the film's opening act, making it look like a thriller about a jealous woman. Cameron Crowe said the marketing made the film look like a "Fatal Attraction" kind of story when talking to Vulture .

The marketing was so misleading that, according to Crowe, a movie theater employee told patrons to get a refund before the movie starts. "The opening weekend, I went to see it, and there was a guy roaming the aisles, saying, 'This is not the movie you think it is. If anybody needs a refund now, ask for a refund.'" Crowe described him as an upper-management guy and remarked on how stunned he was to see this.

I was like, "How do you know what movie they think it is?" It was traumatic. ... I was like, 'You could turn this into a plus, you know. You could make it a wonderful assignment for a wonderful audience to wrap their heads around.' But ... no." To be fair, while the guy's actions were rude and uncalled for, his statement was probably right.

20 years ago, Tom Cruise made the most incoherent sci-fi movie of the century

If you really think about it, this is all Christopher Nolan’s fault.

Penélope Cruz tells a wealthy ne'er-do-well played by Tom Cruise that “every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around.” At this moment, Cruise (David Aames) feels he’s reached that critical point where he can make a meaningful change in his otherwise shallow life — notably, by opening himself up to real love with Cruz (Sofia Serrano).

David is feeling positive about turning his life around. What he doesn’t know is that he’ll soon make another choice that will come with dire consequences. It’s one of the more positive moments in Vanilla Sky , which premiered 20 years ago on December 10, 2001, that drives home a simple message at the heart of this absurdly complex sci-fi movie:

It’s the little things we do that can have the most impact on our lives.

Vanilla Sky is a bizarre cinematic hybrid; equal parts science fiction, psychological thriller, and romance. The early 2000s were a popular time for the psychological thriller, a genre Christopher Nolan had mastered a year earlier with 2000’s Memento . Nolan’s mind-bending movie was a huge critical success, so naturally, everyone in Hollywood wanted to copy him.

In that context, Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, it didn’t make sense to critics and moviegoers. The star-studded movie (Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Lee are also in the cast) went on to attain cult classic status as one of the most underrated sci-fi thrillers of the century (so far). But 20 years later, does Vanilla Sky actually hold up?

Tom Cruise as the wealthy publishing tycoon, David Aames, Jr.

Vanilla Sky stars Tom Cruise as David Aames, a publishing mogul at the age of 33 (due to a substantial inheritance) who lives the filthy rich Manhattanite playboy lifestyle. David goes to work when he feels like it. He plays daily racquetball with his novelist buddy, Brian, and spends his nights sleeping with his friend-with-benefits, singer/model Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz) with no intention of commitment.

David and his friend-with-benefits, Julie Gianni.

Yes, David lives a charmed life. He only has two worries:

• His company’s board of directors
• A single, errant gray hair

David and Brian driving to play racquetball before work.

I’m not the biggest Tom Cruise fan, but he plays the part of David perfectly. Cruise excels in roles where he’s supposed to be a jerk. Whenever he plays a good guy hero, it just feels unnatural. Thankfully, David is the former.

David gets to know Sofia Serrano.

While David is seemingly the man who has everything, once he encounters Sofia Serrano (Penélope Cruz) at his birthday party, he feels he’s met the love of his life.

Cruz is very charming as Sofia, but we barely get to know her. David falls madly in love after only a few hours simply because she’s “guileless” and “ an artist.” While we are seeing her from David’s perspective, she seems to embody the traits of just another manic pixie dream girl.

Regardless, David is smitten. But unfortunately, he makes the fateful decision to get in a car with the unstable Julie, who’s decided that she’s sick of being a side-piece and wants a real relationship.

To drive her point home, Julie drives off a bridge.

Julie picks up David in her car and eventually drives off a bridge.

This accident shapes the rest of David’s life. Julie doesn’t survive, but David does — while sustaining extensive facial scarring. Plastic surgery helps, it’s still not enough to completely restore his face to its previous Tom Cruise glory.

David tries to get his face completely restored after the car accident.

For the rest of the film, David is desperate to get his life back to the way it was before the accident — his face, his company, and his budding relationship with Sofia that had been cut so short.

David questioning his reality.

After the accident, the rest of the movie is one mind trip after another. You don’t know what’s supposed to be reality and what’s a dream. Is David actually going crazy or is someone screwing with his head?

A trippy story can keep an audience’s attention (e.g. Memento ), but the twists and turns here are so relentless that watching it can feel like drowning. There’s nothing concrete for the audience to grasp.

It was all a dream.

It feels like Cameron Crowe was trying to recapture Memento ’s success with Vanilla Sky by having one long puzzle that keeps the audience guessing. Where Nolan succeeds and Crowe fails is in the ultimate execution of the puzzle and the piecing together of the mystery.

With Memento , once the mystery is revealed, it might be a surprise twist, but it’s easier for the audience to look back to the earlier parts of the movie, and think, Oh, that makes sense, now. But in Vanilla Sky , there are so many convoluted plot points and such a minimal payoff (spoilers: David has been having a lucid dream in cryogenic suspension for 150 years and his subconscious just glitched) that trying to make sense of earlier twists is practically futile.

The underlying message of Vanilla Sky — that the small moments in life that can have the greatest consequences — still works. But it’s so buried in unnecessary complexity that you might not even see it. Then again, at least you’ll still be watching a visually stunning movie full of beautiful people and a fun soundtrack.

This article was originally published on Dec. 10, 2021

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Cruise and Cruz: Now it's official

After all the whispered asides, hothouse rumours and vehement denials, it is now official. Tom Cruise is honestly, truly stepping out with Penelope Cruz. Confirmation came, as it so often does in Hollywood, via the actor's spokeswoman. "Tom Cruise invited Penelope Cruz to his 39th birthday party on July 6 and they've had a few dates since," Pat Kingsley told reporters yesterday

There was speculation earlier this year that Cruise's close relationship with 27-year-old Cruz on the set of Vanilla Sky was a direct cause of the break-up of his 10-year marriage to Nicole Kidman. In recent days the pair have been spotted tripping around Hollywood together. They were seen eating at the swish Spago's restaurant over the weekend. In the meantime, Cruise has launched lawsuits against charges that he is, in fact, gay.

In the meantime, one suspects that Kidman will not be too fussed by Kingsley's confirmation. The Moulin Rouge star is just back from a weekend break to the Fijiian island of Wakaya in the company of fellow Aussie Russell Crowe.

• Penélope Cruz

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Penelope Cruz

Who Is Penelope Cruz?

Actress Penelope Cruz studied classical ballet at a young age, later moving to Hollywood, California, to pursue acting. She soon landed roles opposite the likes of Matt Damon and Tom Cruise. She won an Academy Award — becoming the first Spanish actress to do so — for her performance in the film Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008). Cruz married her Vicky Cristina Barcelona co-star, Spanish actor Javier Bardem, in 2010.

When and Where Was Penelope Cruz Born?

Cruz was born on April 28, 1974, in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain.

Marriage to Javier Bardem

In July 2010, Cruz married her Vicky Cristina Barcelona co-star, Spanish actor Javier Bardem. The couple had begun dating early into filming, in 2007.

Cruz and Bardem welcomed their first child, son Leo Encinas Cruz, in January 2011. Two years later, on July 22, 2013, a 39-year-old Cruz gave birth to her second child with Bardem, a daughter named Luna Encinas Cruz, in Madrid, Spain.

Penelope Cruz Sanchez was born on April 28, 1974, in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain. Cruz was born as the eldest of three and a natural performer; her father, Eduardo, worked as a car mechanic, and her mother, Encarna, was a hairdresser. As a child, Cruz amused her family by re-enacting television commercials. Though a natural actress, she took up dance for her choice of performance arts. She studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory and then moved to New York to dance under a series of prominent performers.

“I’m strong and opinionated. Those qualities brought me a lot of problems since I was a little girl in school, saying ‘I don’t agree’ and fighting with the children. It’s part of my curiosity for life."

When she was 15 years old, Cruz found her true vocation after beating out 300 other girls at a talent agency competition. Following this early success, she landed several roles as a dancer for music videos, as well as a gig hosting Spanish TV's La Quinta Marcha . Additionally, Cruz explored her more sensual side in the French erotic TV series Serie Rose .

Spanish Cinema

Cruz made her film debut in 1992, in the dark film Jamón Jamón . The film's director, who had been unable to cast Cruz as the lead in another film because of her young age, waited until she was old enough for his next film. Her performance earned her nominations for both the Spanish Actors Union Newcomer Award and the Goya Award (Spain's Academy Award) for best lead actress. A year later, Cruz played Luz in The Age of Beauty (1992). The film won an Oscar (best foreign language film), virtually swept the Goya Awards and earned Cruz the Spanish Actors Union Award for best supporting performance.

With an impressive apprenticeship to the craft, Cruz earned her place in Spanish cinema as a leading lady. Her resumé continued to grow over the following few years, clocking up three or four films each year. In 1997, Cruz took the role of Isabel Plaza Caballero in Carne Tremula — marking the first time that she worked with internationally renowned director Pedro Almodóvar, who, in turn, became a lifelong friend, as well as her vehicle for global fame. Cruz garnered further critical recognition for her performance in the film.

Two years later, in 1999, Cruz landed a role in another film directed by Almodóvar, Todo Sobre Mi Madre , which went on to win an Oscar and a BAFTA (best foreign language film) award. With a series of well-respected movies under her belt, by this time, Cruz was in demand on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Hollywood Movies

At the age of 25, Cruz made the bold decision to move to Hollywood, California. Fully in command and on top of her career, she took on the role of a control freak and successful chef in Woman on Top (2000). That same year, she played the romantic lead in Billy Bob Thornton's Western All the Pretty Horses. Both films garnered critical success.

Cruz went on to further prove she could hold her own among heavy-hitting actors in 2001, when she starred opposite Johnny Depp in the film Blow . That same year, she appeared in Captain Corelli's Mandolin ; her performance earned her a European Film Award nomination for best actress. Cruz's next film, Waking Up in Reno (2002), featured her alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Patrick Swayze . The romantic comedy about two couples headed to a Monster Truck show received little box office attention.

In 2005, Cruz appeared in Sahara , a comedic adventure film. Not long into filming, the actress began a year-long relationship with her Sahara co-star, Matthew McConaughey . The couple later split, reportedly citing conflicting film schedules.

Recent Movies

Returning to Spanish-language filmes, Cruz appeared in Bandidas (2006) with friend and co-star Salma Hayek . That same year, she starred in Volver , another Almodóvar film; the director had held the role specifically for Cruz, and her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for best actress. A year later, Cruz won her first Academy Award (best actress in a supporting role) for the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008).

"[Penelope Cruz] is a muse for me in the sense that a muse is someone who makes you better than you are. I think I am a better director with her, because she believes that I am better than I am, and that blind faith gives me a lot of strength." - Pedro Almodóvar

Cruz reunited with Almodóvar a year later for the film Los Abrazos Rotos ( Broken Embraces ), released in 2009. That same year, she had a supporting role in the musical Nine , starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a famous Italian director. Cruz played Carla, the director's mistress and only one of the many women in his life. The film, adapted from the Broadway show, was directed by Rob Marshall and also featured Nicole Kidman , Judi Dench and Sophia Loren . For her portrayal of Carla in the film, Cruz received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.

Turning to comedy, Cruz had a role in 2010's Sex in the City 2 . In 2011, she reunited with Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides . She reunited with Woody Allen in 2012's To Rome with Love. In 2013, Cruz worked with Pedro Almodóvar again in the film I'm So Excited ( Los amantes pasajeros ). During this time, she also starred in more serious roles. In the film Twice Born (2012), she starred as Gemma, a mother who returns to the city of Sarajevo years after escaping the war with her only child. In 2013, she starred opposite Michael Fassbender in the Ridley Scott thriller, The Counselor .

In 2015, she starred in the Spanish film Ma Ma , which she also co-produced. The following year she appeared as a secret agent in the comedy Zoolander 2 and in the British spy comedy Grimsby.

In January 2018, Cruz played fashion icon Donatella Versace in the second installment of Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story , entitled The Assassination of Gianni Versace .

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Penelope Cruz
• Birth Year: 1974
• Birth date: April 28, 1974
• Birth City: Alcobendas, Madrid
• Birth Country: Spain
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Spanish actress Penelope Cruz is known for her roles in films such as Vanilla Sky, Blow, Nine and her Oscar-winning performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• Spain's National Conservatory
• Nacionalities

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Penelope Cruz Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/penelope-cruz
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: August 16, 2019
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• I’m strong and opinionated. Those qualities brought me a lot of problems since I was a little girl in school, saying ‘I don’t agree’ and fighting with the children. It’s part of my curiosity for life.

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Penelope Cruz Talks About Tom Cruise

L O S   A N G E L E S, Aug. 17 -- Pen é lope Cruz has been acting for years, but she's never been the center of the American spotlight until now. This week she showed up at her new film's premiere with the oh-so recently divorced Tom Cruise.

But few Hollywood watchers were discussing the film; Cruz won more attention for her escort than the screening of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

It was the first public "event" for Cruz and her new boyfriend, whose headline-making divorce from actress Nicole Kidman was barely a week old.

International Beauty Goes Hollywood

Cruz, 27, now the "it girl" of the moment, told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America she was happy to share the spotlight with Cruise at the premiere.

"He came and shared it with me," the Spanish actress said of her opening night. "It was special for me that he wanted to share it with me that way."

The exotic beauty, who played Johnny Depp's drug-addicted wife in the film Blow earlier this year, landed the role of Nicolas Cage's love interest in the romance Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

There were reports she was involved with Cage early last year, but Cruz said the rumors were untrue. At the time, Cage was still married to actress Patricia Arquette. He's now linked with Lisa Marie Presley.

Privacy Over Popularity

Cruz, a huge star in her homeland, said she is happy personally and professionally now, even though she wants to keep at least some of her private life, well, private.

It's been reported, and substantiated by Cruise's publicist (both Cruise and Cruz are clients of the same public relations firm) that the actors have been seeing each other for about a month. Their first known date was at the trendy Beverly Hills restaurant Spago.

They shot some passionate scenes for the upcoming film Vanilla Sky last November, but they say they weren't involved at that time, when Cruise was still married to Kidman.

"There's nothing to hide and it's a good thing," Cruz said of their relationship. She calls Cruise the most generous person she has ever met.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, vanilla sky.

Now streaming on:

Think it all the way through, and Cameron Crowe 's "Vanilla Sky" is a scrupulously moral picture. It tells the story of a man who has just about everything, thinks he can have it all, is given a means to have whatever he wants, and loses it because--well, maybe because he has a conscience. Or maybe not. Maybe just because life sucks. Or maybe he only thinks it does. This is the kind of movie you don't want to analyze until you've seen it two times.

I've seen it two times. I went to a second screening because after the first screening I thought I knew what had happened, but was nagged by the idea that certain things might not have happened the way I thought they had. Now that I've seen it twice, I think I understand it, or maybe not. Certainly it's entertaining as it rolls along, and there is wonderful chemistry of two quite different kinds between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on the one hand, and Cruise and Penelope Cruz on the other.

"Vanilla Sky," like the 2001 pictures " Memento " and " Mulholland Drive " before it, requires the audience to do some heavy lifting. It has one of those plots that doubles back on itself like an Escher staircase. You get along splendidly one step at a time, but when you get to the top floor you find yourself on the bottom landing. If it's any consolation, its hero is as baffled as we are; it's not that he has memory loss, like the hero of "Memento," but that in a certain sense he may have no real memory at all.

Cruise stars as David Aames, a 33-year-old tycoon who inherited a publishing empire when his parents were killed in a car crash. His condo is like the Sharper Image catalog died and went to heaven. He has a sex buddy named Julie (Cameron Diaz) and thinks they can sleep together and remain just friends, but as she eventually has to explain, "When you sleep with someone, your body makes a promise whether you do or not." At a party, he locks eyes with Sofia Serrano (Penelope Cruz), who arrives as the date of his friend Brian ( Jason Lee ) but ends up spending the night with him. Even though they don't have sex, it looks to me like their bodies are making promises to each other.

At this point the movie starts unveiling surprises which I should not reveal. A lot of surprises. Surprises on top of surprises. The movie is about these surprises, however, and so I must either end this review right now, or reveal some of them.

OK, for those of us still in the room, and without revealing too much: Julie drives up just as David is leaving after his night with Sofia, offers him a lift, drives off a bridge in Central Park, kills herself, and lands him in front of "the best plastic surgeon in New York" with a horribly scarred face. This time thread is intercut with another one in which a psychiatrist ( Kurt Russell ) is interrogating him about a murder. He insists there was no murder. Maybe there was and maybe there wasn't, and maybe the victim was who we think it is, and maybe not.

"Vanilla Sky" has started as if it is about David's life and loves. It reveals an entirely different orientation (which I will not reveal even here in the room), and, to be fair, there is a full explanation. The only problem with the explanation is that it explains the mechanism of our confusion, rather than telling us for sure what actually happened.

That's why I went to see it a second time. In general, my second viewing was greatly helped by my first, and I was able to understand events more clearly. But there was one puzzling detail. At the second viewing, I noticed that the first words in the movie ("open your eyes") are unmistakably said in the voice of Sofia, the Penelope Cruz character. If the movie's explanation of this voice is correct, at that point in the movie David has not met Sofia, or heard her voice.

How can we account for her voice appearing before she does? There is a character in the movie who refers to a "splice." We are told where the splice takes place. But consider the source of this information--not the person supplying it, but the underlying source. Is the information reliable? Or does the splice take place, so to speak, before the movie begins? And in that case ... but see the movie and ask the question for yourself.

Note: Early in the film, there's an astonishing shot of Tom Cruise absolutely alone in Times Square. You might assume, as I did, that computers were involved. Cameron Crowe told me the scene is not faked; the film got city permission to block off Times Square for three hours early on a Sunday morning. Just outside of camera range there are cops and barricades to hold back the traffic.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Vanilla Sky (2001)

Rated R for sexuality and strong language

135 minutes

Noah Taylor as Edmund Ventura

Penelope Cruz as Sofia Serrano

Cameron Diaz as Julie Gianni

Tom Cruise as David Aames

Kurt Russell as McCabe

Jason Lee as Brian Shelby

Directed by

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Penelope Cruz And Nicole Kidman Were Attached To Tom Cruise At The Same Time

Before dating apps, people met their future spouses through work, church, or friends. One look at Tom Cruise's lengthy dating and relationship history shows that he falls into the first category (with some interference from the second). Cruise has a track record of hooking up with costars that involves questionable timelines indicating crossovers between relationships — like the fact that Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman were attached to Cruise simultaneously.

Per Us Weekly , when Cruise met his second spouse, Kidman, on the set of 1989's "Days of Thunder," he was still married to his first spouse, Mimi Rogers. Questions were raised if  Kidman had come between Cruise and Rogers  after he filed for divorce and remarried within the same year. The timing seemed to indicate it. And it wasn't helped by the fact that Kidman gushed about immediately falling in lust with Cruise. "I thought he was the sexiest man I had ever seen," she told Vanity Fair about her falling for her costar months before he called things off with Rogers.

The rumors surrounding Cruise and Kidman's hasty wedding were eventually replaced by rumors about their split after he blindsided Kidman by announcing their breakup in 2001 and filing for divorce just two days later. Cruise was filming "Vanilla Sky" with his next love interest Penelope Cruz when he dropped the divorce bombshell making it apparent that Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman were attached to Tom Cruise at the same time.

Cruise squared

What he lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in charm. Before Tom Cruise's second spouse, Nicole Kidman, was left dazed and confused by his divorce bombshell, the actor had already moved on to work his magic on another costar, his "Vanilla Ice" leading lady Penelope Cruz. The chemistry was apparent between the two, and the timing of their romance was decidedly questionable, despite Cruz maintaining that things were strictly platonic until after Cruise divorced Kidman.

Cruz also has a rep for finding partners and spouses on set. She met her now-husband, Javier Bardem, while working on "Jamón, Jamón" when she was just 16. However, Cruz insisted to The Telegraph that she has always kept things purely business while filming. "I've never fallen in love with someone I'm working with," she said. "It's always been afterward. If something becomes friendship, then maybe months later, it becomes something else, but you can never know. It's always a mystery. You can't plan those things."

However, per Instyle , Cruz and Cruise were already flaunting their love around town just six months after his divorce filing. And then there were the gushing interviews. "She'll come home, and I'll have her favorite kind of food made, have a bath drawn," Cruise told Marie Claire (via Entertainment Weekly ). "I like doing stuff like that. She likes my food, so I cook for her. It's always the little things I like in a relationship."

Kicked to the friend zone curb

Ultimately it wasn't to be. Tom Cruise didn't get a third spouse as he and Penelope Cruz split in 2004. Per The Telegraph , Cruz moved on to another costar, Matthew McConaughey, who she worked with on "Sahara." Tom was reportedly left devastated. "Tom had absolutely planned on proposing to Penelope, and they had openly discussed marriage during the three years they were dating," a source told Radar . "Tom was head over heels in love with Penelope and could see them spending the rest of their lives together, and she felt the same way," they continued, claiming Scientology tore them apart.

The actor managed to rally, though, and he did eventually bag his third spouse, Katie Holmes. According to The Hollywood Reporter , they met when she purportedly auditioned for a part in "Mission Impossible: 3." Holmes didn't land the role, but she did score an intense, passion-filled, whirlwind romance that resulted in a daughter, Suri Cruise, and marriage to her childhood idol. Still, by 2012, TomKat was no more.

Tom was back in the dating wilderness once again, until reportedly meeting his next love interest, Hayley Atwell, on "Mission Impossible: 7." However, she shot down rumors of a romance. "What I feel is the truly extraordinary power of platonic love, which seems to be sometimes under-represented," Atwell told Country and Town House , insisting her non-romantic love for Tom had "a wholesomeness to it." She continued, "That for me, I just found so beautiful."

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Penelope Cruz, Tom Cruise Split When She Rejected Scientology: Report

Remember the great Cruise-Cruz romance of 2001-2004?

In between his second and third marriages (to Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes ), Tom Cruise dated Penelope Cruz, his stunning Vanilla Sky costar, for three years.

And although the Spanish actress, 38, is now happily married to Javier Bardem with an adorable son Leo, 19 months, the explosive new cover story of Vanity Fair alleges that Cruz and Cruise, 50, parted ways over Scientology. Specifically, sources claim in Maureen Orth 's story, Cruz refused to give up her own devout Buddhist beliefs.

Related: PHOTOS: Celeb Scientologists

The future Oscar winner reportedly began the process of taking courses — and auditing sessions — in Scientology. But Church leader and close Cruise confidante David Miscavige branded her a "dilettante" when he learned that she wouldn't give up her own religion.

Once that romance thus fizzled, the article claims, Cruise's team of handlers began a supposed auditioning process to find a suitable potential wife for Cruise — hopefully a woman already enmeshed in the Church of Scientology.

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Related: PHOTOS: Tom and Nicole Kidman

"It's not like you only have to please your husband — you have to toe the line for all Scientology," former Scientologist Marc Headley, who claims to have watched dozens of "auditions" for the future Mrs. Cruise, tells the magazine. "You can't do anything to displease Scientology, because Tom Cruise will freak out."

The Church of Scientology strongly denied to Vanity Fair that any "auditions" ever took place, or that they objected to Cruz's religious beliefs, or that Miscavige was involved in Cruise's personal life.

Related: PHOTOS: Tom's ageless face

In separate statement to Us Weekly , the Church said: "The allegations and entire premise of the Vanity Fair article related to Mr. Miscavige, the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, are totally unfounded and false and categorically denied. The statements and events described about the Church are denied in their entirety."

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Vanilla Sky

Where to watch.

Watch Vanilla Sky with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

What to Know

An ambitious mix of genres, Vanilla Sky collapses into an incoherent jumble. Cruise's performance lacks depth, and it's hard to feel sympathy for his narcissistic character.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Cameron Crowe

David Aames

Penélope Cruz

Sofia Serrano

Cameron Diaz

Julie Gianni

Kurt Russell

Brian Shelby

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Tom Cruise Still Loved Nicole Kidman Yet Dated Penelope Cruz & Took Her to Resort He Booked with His Ex

"Top Gun" actor dominated Hollywood throughout the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, but while he was confident in his career, Tom Cruise could not decide who he wanted in his life. The actor still loved Nicole Kidman but went on to date Penelope Cruz.

Tom Cruise stole the hearts of many with his handsomeness, composure, and impressive hero-of-the-day skills in action films.

However, during the peak of his career, the actor did not spend much time flaunting his bachelor card (he was in a short-term marriage with Mimi Rogers) as he found the yin to his yang after appearing alongside the stunning actress Nicole Kidman.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman during The 2nd Annual Blockbuster Awards at The Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California, United States. | Source: Getty Images

The pair married in 1990, almost as soon as they fell in love and became an item, leading them to attain the title of power couple for a few years.

Despite being entertainers with busy schedules, they both dedicated time to building and enjoying their relationship, even if it involved getting up in the early hours of the morning to go racing.

Unfortunately, things ended rather quickly for both of them and their fans, who were shocked at the news of their divorce.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at the Premiere of ""A Few Good Men"" at Mann's Village Theater in Westwood, California, United States. | Source: Getty Images

After all, it was almost impossible to accept that they were one of the best couples in town, who proved that the perfect love they portrayed on-screen while acting together could be achieved in reality.

They never stayed away for more than two weeks, always holding hands in public whenever captured by the paparazzi, and had created a desirable family with their two kids. Yet, they were ready to separate.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman at the Screening of "The Portrait of A Lady" at United Aritist's Racquet Club in New York City, New York, United States. | Source: Getty Images

Despite their willingness to part, the former super couple remained discreet about their divorce. They never mentioned the reason their love turned sour through interviews. However, Cruise maintained that they knew the cause and were not obliged to share. In his words :

"No, I mean, she knows why, and she is the mother of my children, and I wish her well. I don't care if it piques people's interest…my life isn't here to sell newspapers."

TOM CRUISE FINDS ANOTHER LOVER SOONER THAN EXPECTED

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in Sydney, Australia, on June 1, 1993. | Source: Getty Images

It is never surprising to see one of the industry's charming actors move on after a failed relationship, but seeing Cruise find love again ten months after his separation and four months after divorce from his one-time soulmate raised eyebrows.

Still, it was all about his happiness, so after meeting actress Penelope Cruz on the set of 2000's "Vanilla Sky," the pair began dating the following year, making the headlines.

Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz on the set of "Vanilla Sky" in Times Square, with Cameron Crowe directing at Times Square in New York City, New York, United States. | Source: Getty Images

The gossip mills churned out speculations that his marriage crashed because of an alleged intimacy with Cruz.

But whatever it was, by 2001, the "Vanilla Sky" stars were confident to show off that they were in a romantic relationship by going on several dates publicly. The "Top Gun" actor even scheduled a getaway at Wakaya Club in Fiji.

Actor Tom Cruise kisses co-star Penelope Cruz on the set of his new film "Vanilla Sky," during the first day of shooting November 6, 2000 in New York City''s Central Park. | Source: Getty Images

This was shocking to Kidman, who was away in Australia, as the resort was where she and Cruise had made reservations before their split. It did not seem to matter what people or his ex-wife thought.

The actor was in love and did not try to hide it. He only tamed his responses about his new relationship. According to Cruise:

"I thought, My God, I'm your boyfriend. You're my girlfriend! Cruise and Cruz!"

Tom Cruise & Penelope Cruz at the Mandeville Canyon Park in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

During a press conference, Cruise confessed that Cruz's kindness attracted him to her. In response, the actress blushed about being with him, stating that he is a humble and generous fellow.

Many expected this to be a successful relationship. Rumors that they may tie the knot and that the Spanish native was pregnant surfaced— Cruise did not deny his desire for a future wedding, confirming that they were genuinely in love.

A POSSIBLE HAPPY-NEVER-AFTER?

Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz film a scene of their new movie, Vanilla Sky, in New York's Times Square November 12, 2000. | Source: Getty Images

As time went on, sources contemplated that there were inconsistencies between the pair. Although Cruise denied rumors of a rift, an insider revealed that their work, which involved filming in different locations, strained the couple's relationship.

Their distance made it difficult to maintain the bond, but Cruise and his girlfriend would spend time in his Colorado resort whenever they were together.

While they strived to make up for their absence, the pair were soon hit with a severe allegation questioning Cruz's fidelity.

Tom Cruise & Penelope Cruz during "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" Premiere at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California, United States. | Source: Getty Images

An Australian publication wrote that the Spaniard told her family about an affair with another man when she began dating Cruise.

Eventually, it was discovered to be a lie, and Cruz proved that she was faithful by suing the media source. Soon, there was trouble in paradise.

It was reported that Cruz was jealous that her lover still kept in touch with his ex-wife. It even became worse when the actor publicly declared that his love for Kidman would never die.

Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise during The Last Samurai - Los Angeles Premiere at Mann's Village Theater in Westwood, California, United States. | Source: Getty Images

As if that was not enough, Cruz discovered that the former partners had shared emotional and late-night conversations over the phone. Naturally, this made her furious, putting their relationship in a figuring-things-out mood.

The "Vanilla Sky" actress also complained that it had been an arduous task trying to curry the affection of her lover's kids. The couple began appearing without each other's company at events before they finally broke the news.

First, the couple separated quietly and then confirmed that they were no longer an item but chose to remain friends. Details of their breakup included how much being apart affected their love life.

LIFE FOR CRUISE AFTER CRUZ

Penelope Cruz & Tom Cruise during "Minority Report" New York City Premiere at Ziegfeld Theater in New York City, New York, United States. | Source: Getty Images

After his time with Cruz, there was no doubt that the actor still cared about his ex-wife. During a 2005 interview with "60 Minutes" reporter Peter Overton, Cruise maintained that he still loved Kidman, with whom he is raising his kids.

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Unfortunately, the "Mission Impossible" star did not keep the same energy when it came to his ex-lover, Cruz. Even though they promised to remain friends in their breakup statement, they never really shared a close relationship.

Penelope Cruz and Tom Cruise during MENTOR-National Mentoring Partnership Excellence in Mentoring Awards at Pier 60 Chelsea Piers in New York City, New York, United States. | Source: Getty Images

It was glaring when they met at Bryan Lourd's house party. The actor was engaged in a conversation with some fellow when Cruz walked up to him and tapped him. Cruise responded awkwardly with a distant and short-time hug.

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz attend Goya Cinema Awards 2016 at Madrid Marriott Aud. | Source: Getty Images

Despite the rigid friendship, Cruz turned out to be a happy woman as in 2009, she became engaged to a longtime friend turned lover, Javier Bardem. The pair first met in 1992 while working on a movie but began dating in 2007.

The pair never talked about their love life throughout their courtship, but they were sure it was meant to be, considering how passionate Cruz became. She was described as having "the loving blood."

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz at the afterparty for the Royal World Premiere of 'Skyfall' at Tate Modern on October 23, 2012 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Speaking about their love life that lasted for more than a decade, Bardem explained that they have evolved. Learning and differentiating fiction from reality have been responsible for their togetherness. In the end, he said :

"Penélope and I, we have to protect the 'us'"

Generally, both exes, Cruise and Cruz, are doing great apart and have found their happiness in the family. While the Spanish star is happily married with kids, the actor, divorced from his third wife, Katie Holmes, has nothing but love for his children.

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Tom Cruise was devastated after Penelope Cruz split

Actor Tom Cruise was reportedly devastated after then-girlfriend Penelope Cruz dumped him because of the Church of Scientology.

Cruise, 50, met Cruz on the sets of their film Vanilla Sky(2001) but their relationship ended in 2004, reported Radar Online. "Tom had absolutely planned on proposing to Penelope, and they had openly discussed marriage during the three years they were dating. Tom was head over heels in love with Penelope and could see them spending the rest of their lives together, and she felt the same way. "However, Penelope pulled the plug on the relationship because she felt that the Church of Scientology was the third wheel in their relationship.

Penelope doesn't have anything against the Church, but it just wasn't her thing. She admired Tom's dedication to it, but it wasn't her cup of tea and wasn't something she wanted to give her life up for," a source said. Cruise recently split from Katie Holmes, his third wife.

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Penélope Cruz Turns 50: Inside Her Life in Spain with Javier Bardem and Their 2 Kids (Exclusive Source) 

The Oscar-winning actress hits her milestone birthday on April 28

Neilson Barnard/Getty

Happy birthday, Penélope Cruz !

The Oscar-winning actress, who turned 50 on April 28, has been one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actresses for years, starring in blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides , foreign films like Volver and ad campaigns for Chanel.

But when she’s not working, she enjoys a quiet life in her native Spain with her husband of 14 years, actor Javier Bardem , 55, and their two children, Leo, 13, and Luna, 10.

“Penelope Cruz is one of the loveliest Hollywood stars with lots of talent,” an entertainment executive source tells PEOPLE. “She is grounded, successful and knows who she is. She is happily married and loves being in a family unit. She is happy living out of the spotlight.”

The source says Cruz has no qualms about turning 50. “She is fulfilled, in a solid marriage, and has a happy life,” they say. “Penelope is fine with turning 50 and believes the early years of working all of the time paid off but are behind her. Now she can pick and choose. And she is quite content with how everything has turned out for her.”

A Spanish style source tells PEOPLE that Cruz is “mature, beautiful and poised," noting, “When you have made many of the right choices in your life, turning 50 is a gift not a dreaded day."

“She has a lot to be proud of and thankful for in her life. She is an award-winning actress, a true beauty, and a female who likes to laugh and have fun," the source adds. "She is the real deal.”

Another film industry source details that Cruz is happier living away from the bustle of Hollywood and that has been good for her marriage and motherhood.

“She is looking forward to the next part of her life, which will find her doing what she wants when she wants and feeling happy doing it,” the source says.

VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty

Cruz remains private and doesn’t often discuss her children in interviews. "It’s for them to decide if they are going to have a job that is more exposed to the public or not. They can talk about that when they’re ready," she explained Elle in January .

But she has, at times, opened up about her life with her family of four outside of the spotlight around the Spanish capital. 

“I am indeed 100% from Madrid. I was born here, and I grew up here. I love Madrid,” she has said. 

Carlos Alvarez/Getty

In a recent conversation she had with her friend, manager Guy Oseary, for Dust magazine, Cruz discussed her decision to make Spain her home base and always put her loved ones before her work. 

“My life’s priority has always been my family. Having that focal point has probably given me the strength to choose projects on my own terms,” she said. 

Not that it’s come without some hand-wringing. “How can I be the one to say no, with all the insecurities that come with this profession?” she wondered, ultimately deciding that she gets to “follow my own path.”

The Ferrari actress and Bardem, who won an Oscar himself for his role in No Country for Old Men , have tried to shield their children from cell phones, social media and all the hoopla surrounding Hollywood.

"They know that we do movies, but I don't think they know what that means or what is that all about," he told PEOPLE in 2017. "It's fine. We don't have anything in our house that reminds them that we are actors. We really don't care about that."

Momodu Mansaray/Getty

A-list visitors might tip off Leo and Luna that their parents are also a big deal. In her conversation with Oseary for Dust , Cruz recalled a dinner they had at Restaurante Araceli with her longtime friend and collaborator Pedro Almodóvar and Madonna , with whom Oseary works.

On nights spent at home, Cruz likes to have friends over to play Werewolf, a social game not that different from the TV series Traitors . “You have to lie, manipulate, betray,” Cruz told PEOPLE in 2022. “In Madrid I also have groups of people that play.  It's the best game, and it's a great game for actors.”

"You have to convince [other players] that you are a villager instead of a wolf, and that you're not going to kill in the middle of the night,” she continued.

A fair word of warning to anyone who wants to go toe-to-toe with Cruz: “I play like my life depends on it,” she said.

But It may be a minute before Cruz can host another game night at home in Europe. She’s attached to the upcoming Frankenstein-themed movie The Bride , which has been filming in Staten Island, New York.

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50 anni di Penélope Cruz, 10 cose che forse non sai di lei

di Francesca Pellegrini

Penélope Cruz festeggia 50 anni , di cui trentatré passati di fronte alla cinepresa dove debuttò a soli 17 anni in Prosciutto, Prosciutto . La commedia sexy di Bigas Luna sul cui set incontrò il futuro marito e padre dei suoi due figli (Leonardo e Luna), Xavier Bardem . Musa di Almodovàr ( 7 film ), diventerà una star internazionale con Tutto su Mia Madre del 1999. Ma è Woody Allen che farà di lei la prima attrice spagnola a vincere un Oscar con Vicky Cristina Barcelona , dieci anni dopo. Con il nostro Sergio Castellitto , ha girato due film Non ti muovere del 2004 e Venuto al mondo del 2012: il primo le è valso il David di Donatello . Pensare che da adolescente, Penélope inseguii il sogno di diventare una ballerina.

Figlia di un meccanico e di una parrucchiera, la Madonna di Madrid (così conosciuta in patria), studia danza classica per nove anni presso il Conservatorio Reale della capitale, ma arrivata a New York s’innamora del teatro e si iscrive alla scuola di recitazione di Cristina Rota. Nel corso della sua straordinaria carriera, Penélope ha scoperto il buddismo e l’importanza di imparare l’inglese. Glamour sul red carpet, la diva ispanica sceglie Maison Chanel senza però rinunciare a indossare altri grandi stilisti.

Cruz è anche un'attivista e ambasciatrice di varie organizzazioni di beneficenza. Si distinse, per la prima volta, nel 1998 donando l’intero compenso del suo primo film hollywoodiano alla missione di Madre Teresa a Calcutta, dove aveva soggiornato qualche anno prima. Nel giorno del suo importante compleanno, vogliamo festeggiare la diva spagnola con 10 cose che forse non sai di lei: da quando giocava a fare la stilista con la sorella Monica fino alla rottura «amichevole» con Tom Cruise .

Il nome «Penélope»

Il nome della diva spagnola è ispirato all'omonima canzone di Joan Manuel Serrat del 1969.

Le «cicatrici» dei tempi danzanti

Prima di iniziare a recitare, la diva ha studiato danza classica per quasi dieci anni, e le sue «cicatrici da battaglia» lo dimostrano. Una volta dichiarò a Time di avere le dita dei piedi storte, procurate durante i tempi del balletto quando si allenava, così, tanto da farle sanguinare. Cruz ha ammesso che la concentrazione e l'autocontrollo richiesti nella danza si sono rivelati, tuttavia, fondamentali per la sua carriera attoriale.

L’amore per il cinema

Fu folgorata dal mondo del cinema, dopo aver visto nel 1989 Légami! del futuro mentore Pedro Almodóvar. Quando aveva dieci anni, suo padre comprò una macchina Betamax che allora era piuttosto rara nel quartiere della sua città natale, Alcobendas.

I limiti linguistici degli esordi

di Anna Gentili , Vanity Fair Italia

di Marzia Nicolini , Vanity Fair Italia

di Alessandra De Tommasi

Durante le riprese del suo primo film hollywoodiano, il western The Hi-Lo Country del 1998, la barriera linguistica si rivelò molto difficile per l’attrice spagnola: « Mi chiudevo in bagno e piangevo, perché non capivo cosa stesse succedendo sul set e perché non comprendevo le istruzioni del regista Stephen Frears o quello che dicevano gli altri attori del cast », ha ricordato Cruz nel 2009 . Oggi, parla fluentemente quattro lingue: spagnolo, inglese, francese e italiano.

L'incontro con Javier Bardem

Penélope e il collega conterraneo Javier e si sono incontrati sul set di Bigas Luna nel lontano 1992 ma hanno cominciato a frequentarsi, solo, molto tempo dopo. Poiché, lei all’epoca aveva appena 17 anni. Si sono ritrovati nell’estate 2007, durante le riprese di Vicky Cristina Barcellona di Woody Allen. « Nessuno di noi avrebbe fatto la prima mossa. Non so se eravamo timidi o cercavamo di essere troppo professionali », ha ricordato Javier. « Fortunatamente, un nostro amico ha organizzato un party per festeggiare la fine delle riprese e, beh, il resto è storia. Grazie a Dio! »

Il debutto in un video musicale

A 15 anni, l’attrice ha ottenuto il suo primissimo ruolo: un cameo nel videoclip La Fuerza del Destino della band pop spagnola Mecano.

La storia con Tom Cruise

L’attrice spagnola avrebbe potuto chiamarsi Penelope Cruz-Cruise. La musa di Almodovar ha incontrato il divo americano e devoto di Scientology nel 2000 sul set di Vanilla Sky , mentre lui era ancora sposato con Nicole Kidman. La coppia rompe «amichevolmente» all'inizio del 2004 per via dei massicci impegni lavorativi di entrambi. Sebbene secondo Maureen Orth di Vanity Fair, l’attrice si fosse scontrata il leader della chiesa di Scientology, David Miscavige, che voleva convincerla a tutti i costi ad abbandonare le sue convinzioni buddiste.

È anche una stilista

Penélope e sua sorella Monica progettano collezioni di moda per varie aziende fin dal 2007, quando hanno creato una linea di borse per Samantha Thavasa. Da allora, hanno collaborato per brand come Mango, Agent Provocateur, Carpisa, Loewe e Geox. L’attrice ha raccontato che da bambine si divertivano a scarabocchiare sopra le riviste fashion, sognando di creare abiti, nascoste nel bagno insieme.

L'amicizia con Salma Hayek

Cruz è molto legata all’attrice messicana. Le due si sono incontrate, per la prima volta, durante le riprese di Bandidas e da allora le due star latine si sostengo da buone amiche.

Ispanica da record

Nel 2011, Penélope Cruz diventa la prima spagnola a ricevere la celebre stella sulla Walk of Fame di Hollywood.

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Penelope Cruz just turned 50 and this is how she looks decades younger

The all the pretty horses actress looks incredible at 50.

We all know that Hollywood is synonymous with beauty and no one is more beautiful than the dazzling Penelope Cruz. Th e Vanilla Sky  star celebrates her 50th birthday on 28 April and we can't quite believe it. She looks like she could be in her 30s, and we legitimately thought she was. Movie stars never seem to age, do they?

The mother-of-two, who is married to Javier Bardem, always looks elegant, poised and flawless. We've delved into her beauty secrets to find out just how she looks SO young and we think you will be surprised.

Penelope's beauty secrets

The star, who is known for her role in Pirates of the Caribbean, has been a Lancome ambassador since 2013, and her longstanding partnership with the brand means she has the opportunity to try out some of the best products which are luxurious and promote anti-ageing with their top-notch ingredients.

Her daily skincare routine involves three main products, the Lancome 'Absolue Purifying Brightening Gel Cleanser' followed by the Lancome 'Advanced Genifique Youth Activating' serum, and Lancome 'Hydra Zen Moisturising and Soothing Cream' both for day and night.

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Makeup wise, the raven-haired beauty uses the Lancome 'Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation Stick' and Lancome 'Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer' for her complexion. She follows up with the Lancome 'Blush Subtil Powder' and Lancome 'Hypnose Drama Waterproof Full Impact Volume Mascara,' and tops off her look with the Lancome 'La Nuit Tresor L'Eau de Parfum Spray'.

For us mere mortals, using all these products would cost a very pretty penny. Penelope's skincare regime will set you back $225.79 (£181.90)  a month, and her makeup and perfume adds a further $289.02 (£231.83) bringing it to a grand total of $515.80 (£413.73) per month. Gulp! If you fancy treating yourself, you can pick up the entire range of Lancome products on Escentual.com.

Penelope's ageless looks 

Now, we all know that Hollywood stars often subtly dabble in cosmetic enhancements, but Dr Mark Solomos, Plastic & Aesthetic Surgeon as seen on 10 Years Younger and Price of Perfection, thinks she has had very little done. 

"Penelope looks very natural, with no obvious signs of surgical intervention. You can even see some fine lines which is very refreshing in the age of Hollywood perfection, and in my opinion makes her look more beautiful and natural. She may well have had Botox and fillers in the past but nothing too extravagant. Also it’s possible to do mini Botox so you can relax the muscles and lighten the lines without losing the expressions - important for actors! It’s become very popular in my clinic for a light refresh of the skin."

It seems her lifestyle also plays a major part in her age-defying looks.

The expert added: "Penelope is blessed by good genes and a dark Mediterranean olive skin tone, which usually ages quite well. I am sure she benefits from non surgical interventions like perhaps PRP treatments, profhilo, light therapy and laser as these improve things marginally and give glowing skin without any signs of ‘work’. No doubt she will lead a healthy lifestyle routine with exercise, good nutrition and skin care regime. This is the way to do it!"

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Famous birthdays list for today, April 28, 2024 includes celebrities Penelope Cruz, Mary McDonnell

• Published: Apr. 28, 2024, 5:00 a.m.

Penelope Cruz and Mary McDonnell celebrate birthdays on April 28, 2024. AP

• Mike Rose, cleveland.com

Birthday wishes go out to Penelope Cruz, Mary McDonnell and all the other celebrities with birthdays today. Check out our slideshow below to see photos of famous people turning a year older on April 28th and learn an interesting fact about each of them.

Top celebrity birthdays on April 28, 2024

Host Jay Leno appears on stage during the 2020 Gershwin Prize Honoree's Tribute Concert at the DAR Constitution Hall on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in Washington. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP) Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP

Comedian Jay Leno turns 74

Fun fact: Has appeared in multiple episodes on ‘Jeopardy!’ as a clue giver

Mary McDonnell arrives at the 29th Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Actress Mary McDonnell turns 72

Fun fact: Her middle name is Eileen

Penelope Cruz arrives at the 30th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Actress Penelope Cruz turns 50

Fun fact: Appeared in last year’s film ‘Ferrari’

Jessica Alba arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Actress Jessica Alba turns 37

Fun fact: Recently stepped down from her role as Chief Creative Officer for The Honest Company

More celebrities with birthdays today

Actor-singer Ann-Margret is 83. Actor Paul Guilfoyle (“CSI”) is 75. Singer-bassist Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth is 71. Rapper Too Short is 58. Actor Bridget Moynahan (“Blue Bloods”) is 53. Actor Chris Young is 53. Rapper Big Gipp of Goodie Mob is 52. Actor Jorge Garcia (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Lost”) is 51. Actor Elisabeth Rohm (“Law & Order”) is 51. Actor Nate Richert (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) is 46. TV personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott (“The Property Brothers”) are 46. Actor Harry Shum Jr. (“Glee”) is 42. Actor Jenna Ushkowitz (“Glee”) is 38. Actor Aleisha Allen (“School of Rock,” “Are We There Yet?”) is 33.

Other popular or historical birthdays on April 28th

James Monroe, 5th U.S. president

Lionel Barrymore, actor

Oskar Schindler, subject of ‘Schindler’s List’

Harper Lee, author

Terry Pratchett, author

Bruno Kirby, actor

John Daly, PGA golfer (58)

with The Associated Press

Celebrity fun facts

Recent lists: Kaley Cuoco fun facts | Margot Robbie fun facts | Kevin Costner fun facts | Tom Cruise fun facts | Gal Gadot fun facts | Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson fun facts | Reese Witherspoon fun facts

Popular lists: Robert Downey Jr. fun facts | Emma Watson fun facts | Jason Momoa fun facts | Miley Cyrus fun facts

Check out our full list of more than 40 celebrity fun facts .

Movie and TV fun facts & more

Recent lists: ‘How I Met Your Mother’ guest stars | ‘Groundhog Day’ fun facts | ‘Yellowstone’ trivia

Popular lists: Canadian celebrities | ‘Friends’ guest stars | Celebs on ‘The Office’

Check out our rundown of more than 30 posts featuring trivia and fun facts about movies and TV shows .

Recent Celebrity birthdays

• Famous birthdays list for April 27, 2024 includes celebrities Lizzo, Jenna Coleman
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• Famous birthdays list for today, April 25, 2024 includes celebrities Al Pacino, Sara Paxton

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Tom Cruise Doesn't Really Do Sequels Very Often, But There's Apparently One Movie His Co-Star Was Shocked Didn't Get A Follow-up

"He did bite me at the end..."

Unless we are talking about Mission: Impossible – M:I 8 is currently filming or the long-delayed Top Gun : Maverick – Tom Cruise isn’t known for making very many sequels to his flicks. But, according to one former cast member, there is one film in his oeuvre that he is shocked never got a follow-up. The former cast member in question is Christian Slater , who co-starred along with Cruise and Brad Pitt in one of the best films of the 90s , the film adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel Interview With The Vampire . According to the Heathers alum, he’s shocked that he and the Risky Business star never got a second bite at the neck, playing a vampire in a sequel.

Christian Slater Reflects on The Missed Sequel Opportunity

It's hard to believe it's been nearly three decades–the movie turns 30 this year–since we were first mesmerized by one of the most iconic vampire performances on screen. In an interview shared on Comicbook.com’s Chris Killian’s Instagram , Christian Slater discussed how he and Cruise were reflecting on the project. The pair expressed a mutual astonishment over the movie's lack of a sequel despite their roles becoming fan favorites. He recounted:

Tom Cruise and I were both surprised that Interview With The Vampire didn’t get a sequel. You know, that would have been fun. Uh, I mean, he did bite me at the end of that thing.

For my money, even three decades since its release, Interview With The Vampire is still one of the best vampire movies ever committed to celluloid. Upon release, it was a critical and financial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing R-rated horror films of 1994, and grew to become a goth cult favorite. Not to mention, it introduced the broader world to actress Kirsten Dunst , a role Cruise helped the young actress secure thanks to some very practical advice.

The Enduring Legacy of 'Interview With the Vampire'

Tom Cruise's electrifying turn as the vampire Lestat was central to the film’s success. Initially, Anne Rice, the source material's author, hated Cruise’s casting in the role. However, his performance won her over and helped cement the film's place in cinematic history. Despite this success and the buzz around it, plans to continue Lestat's story with Cruise in a sequel never came to fruition. While the potential for a direct follow-up to this beloved film sparked plenty of discussions, ultimately, those plans remained just out of reach, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.

There was anticipation over a sequel starring the Top Gun A-lister, yet various factors, including rights issues, changes in production companies, and creative decisions, led to a different path for the book to screen adaptations of Rice's novels.

The next film in the series, Queen of the Damned, starring the late singer and actress Aaliyah , was released in 2002, but it did not involve Tom Cruise. Instead, Stuart Townsend took over the role of Lestat. The film combined elements from the second and third books of Rice's series, The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned . Still, it diverged significantly from the source material and did not continue directly from where Interview left off.

Interview With The Vampire is enjoying a second adaptation and return to screens as a television series, which is gearing up for its second season on AMC .

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The Possibility Of A Sequel With Cruise

The ending of Interview with the Vampire set the stage perfectly for a sequel. It left audiences reeling from its final twist and introduced a new narrative thread with Daniel, the San Francisco reporter who becomes enthralled with Louis's tale of the undead. As Christian Slater hinted in the recent interview, the setup was ideal for a follow-up. Yet, despite the ripe storytelling potential, a direct continuation wasn't in the cards. Could a sequel with Cruise still happen? As the interviewers and Slater point out, Tom Cruise barely looks like he's aged since the last time he put on the Vampire Lestat's fangs. So, never say never.

Christian Slater's most recent work, another book adaptation, the series The Spiderwick Chronicles , is available now for free on The Roku Channel . Be sure to check out our 2024 movie schedule to see what upcoming horror movies are heading to a screen near you.

Ryan graduated from Missouri State University with a BA in English/Creative Writing. An expert in all things horror, Ryan enjoys covering a wide variety of topics. He's also a lifelong comic book fan and an avid watcher of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. 

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From Tom Cruise breakdancing to Spice Girls reuniting, reports from Victoria Beckham's bash capture imagination

Tom Cruise breakdancing, a Spice Girls reunion and tons of A-list celebrities gathering in one location have social media and the general public in awe over Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday party.

Beckham, who celebrated half a century over the weekend, posted about the luxurious soiree Sunday on Instagram.

But some of the most buzzworthy moments went intentionally unrecorded.

"I don’t think I’ve ever felt as loved as I did last night," Beckham's post said. "Thank you all for coming from near and so far!! X"

In the post, Beckham shared pictures of her with actor Eva Longoria, celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, her husband, soccer star David Beckham and some of the couple's children.

In another Instagram post, Beckham shared a picture of her and the four other members of the English pop group, the Spice Girls.

"The best gift to be reunited!! Thank you to all my friends and family for celebrating with me. Kisses! xxx," Beckham's post about the Spice Girls said.

Guests 'absolutely dumbfounded' by Tom Cruise's dancing, reports say

Not included in either post were other famous attendees who came to celebrate with the Beckhams at Oswald’s, a private member’s club owned by Robin Birley in London's Mayfair district.

Oswald's is strict about taking photos and allowing social media within the venue , according to the club's member's privacy notice.

Actors Tom Cruise and Salma Hayek both made an appearance at Beckham's party and while one left an impression with their outfit, the other left it all on the dance floor, the Daily Mail reported.

Cruise, who turned 61 in July 2023, stunned guests when he began demonstrating "a series of breakdancing moves, culminating in splits," the outlet said.

"People were absolutely dumbfounded," one guest told the Daily Mail.

Social media reacts to Tom Cruise's 'split mania' and not receiving an invite to Victoria Beckham's party

While no photos or videos of Cruise dancing exist online, social media users continue to poke fun at the expense of the "Mission Impossible" movie star. An X user who goes by @Douggernaut_2 posted a clip of actor Mike Myers dancing in the film "Austin Powers" and said, "Tom Cruise arriving at Victoria Beckham's bday."

Several social media users hearkened back to when Cruise played the Les Grossman character in the 2008 comedy movie "Tropic Thunder." Cruise would hilariously reprise the character during the 2010 MTV Movie Awards and dance to rapper Ludacris' song "Get Back."

"Remember when Tom Cruise did this," X user @charletty_ said Monday in a post reacting to the video of Cruise's full dance routine at the awards show.

During the routine with singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, Cruise does a split on stage. X user @danilo_parks said Monday in a post, "It's real Tom Cruise does the splits mania out there today."

In addition to seeing Cruise do splits and the Spice Girls perform, guests also received goody bags full of Beckham's branded products, including a candle and a fragrance, the Telegraph reported.

All the fun has people wondering where their invite was to Beckham's birthday party, including X user @StaceyVaselaney who said, "I’m sitting here shaking my head wondering why wasn’t I invited to Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party."