FRANCE: Spanish actress Penelope Cruz receives French government's award

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz was honoured as "Chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et Lettres", meaning "knight of the arts and literature order", by the French government in Paris on Wednesday (January 11). Cruz was received by French Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, who awarded her with a prize which was previously assigned to a number of actors and musicians from the international show business community. "I feel very moved. I've always loved France and its culture. As a little girl I would never dare dreaming that I would find myself here in Paris, in the world capital of culture, to receive a prize which I am not sure to deserve," Cruz said before being awarded. The Spanish actress had arrived in the French capital city earlier in the week to promote her new movie "Bandidas", along with Mexican colleague Salma Hayek. Hayek also made a short appearance during the award gala, along with Penelope's younger sister Monica Cruz, who has recently started her own career as an actress in a successful Spanish TV series. Now 31 years old, Penelope Cruz, who studied to become a dancer, started a career as an actress when she was just a teenager. She performed in Academy Award winner movies such as Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's "Todo sobre mi madre" and "La belle epoque". Her appearance in "Vanilla Sky", next to Tom Cruise, marked the start of a 3-year long relationship with the American actor.

ITN Source | January 12, 2006

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