Congratulations to the Madrid-Born Penélope Cruz for winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress last night for her work in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. We Spaniards & near-Spaniards are proud of you.

I wasn't able to stay up to watch the ceremony but am sure I'll see "P's" Oscar announcement and acceptance - and several subsequent interviews - over the next SEVERAL days or months (just like when Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor award a couple (?) years ago).

The movie, written & directed by Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, was a good one. I wouldn't say it's one of the best movies of the year, no, but "P" was good - so was "Jarvier Bardem" (as Winona Ryder pronounced HIS name for best supporting actor nomination) in the same movie. It's not a movie which will make you laugh a lot but it may make you smile a few times.

The world's sports and media are certainly taking notice of Spain's jewels, that's for sure!

Saludos, MadridMan

And did you see Pe at the awards .. absolute elegance and sexiness personified !!!! No wonder that Pedro Almodóvar pulled her into his circle of friends !
Steve

I didn't/couldn't stay up to watch the Academy Awards last night. Penélope Cruz won her Oscar, I understand, at about 2:30am local Spain time. Uuuuf! Just finished watching the video of her acceptance speech now. Nice. Emotional and sweet, somewhat timid and shy, very humble. I like that. Way to go, "P"!

Saludos, MadridMan

Penelope Cruz was born in Alcobendas, Comunidad de Madrid ::)
anyway, practically the same. The acceptance speech was very good, very nice of her to give credit to others that had help her. It shows class, and she still looks darn goooood !!!
I am dreaming ::)

By the way, her dress is 60 yrs old !! she bought and had it kept for about 5-6 yrs just for this occasion , positive thinking always gets you places !!!

While Penélope Cruz grew up in Alcobendas (north of Madrid and north of La Moraleja), I can almost guarantee she was born in one of the Madrid City hospitals. I doubt at that time Alcobendas had their own hospital. As far as I can find out, the nearest hospital to Alcobendas is in San Sebastián de los Reyes (where they have the annual bull runs), called Hospital Infanta Sofia, and it's brand new. While possible, I doubt she was born at home.

Hers was a beautiful dress, even I can say that!

Saludos, MadridMan

jajaja no she said herself born in Alcobendas, when we are Spanish, sometimes we need to go to another town hospital (like my case too) but you are from where your parents put you up even if the birth certificate has another name on it ::)
If she says it, then she should know ::) cheers

exact Penélope Cruz Sánchez (Alcobendas, 28 de abril de 1974, and this one in Spanish but what the heck, she is.
http://www.webpenelope.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1&Itemid=26

I heard her say she grew up in Alcobendas but not that she was born there. But who knows, maybe she had a "mid wife" to deliver her at home. But even WikiPedia says she was born in Alcobendas so there you go! Either way, she's (now) definitely the pride of Alcobendas AND the Comunidad de Madrid.

Saludos, MadridMan

El Mundo tells all, surprise nobody knows she is from Alcobendas.

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/02/24/madrid/1235462512.html

not to argue, the reason i am saying this ,is that, even whre i live now people confuse it with Paris, and it is not. Many times, we tend to say the main close big city but we are not. Iker Casillas is not from Madrid, he is from Mostoles, etc etc etc.

Alcobendas ,little town, will have its day in heaven ,and thats great. Madrid can use it too,she did went to school there.

Good for her!

She's a great actor and her role in V/C Barcelona was brilliant.

I know someone who was born on the same day and in the same hospital as Pé and he always says they were born in San Sebastián de los Reyes--so there must have been a maternidad there back in 1974. Of course she's from Alcobendas--she would know best!