Spanish actress Penélope Cruz Sánchez was born in 1974. At 16 she debuted with succes in Jamón, jamón. She attended the School of Dramatic Arts in New York and London, and in 1997 she met Pedro Almodóvar who chose her for a role in Live Flesh, then in 1999 in All About My Mother who meets a great success, gaining the lead role in the 2001 Vanilla Sky. She has since built a successful career, and she received critical acclaim for her roles in Volver (2006) and Nine (2009), receiving Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for each. In 2008 she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In addition she has modeled for companies such as Mango, Ralph Lauren and L'Oréal. She was the first Spanish actress to receive an Academy Award and to receive a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.