Penélope Cruz’s Best Roles

Penélope Cruz has captivated audiences around the world with her immense talent and undeniable screen presence. After becoming a star in her native Spain, she made a successful transition to Hollywood, becoming one of the most respected international actresses of her generation. She is perhaps best known for her incredible collaborations with director Pedro Almodóvar, who has consistently brought out some of her most powerful and nuanced performances.

Cruz possesses a remarkable range, moving seamlessly between passionate, fiery dramas and lighthearted, charming comedies. She has the rare ability to command the screen in both Spanish and English, bringing a depth of emotion and fierce intelligence to every character she embodies. Her groundbreaking work has earned her numerous accolades, including becoming the first Spanish actress to win an Academy Award.

‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ (2018)

In this critically acclaimed television series, Cruz portrays the iconic fashion designer Donatella Versace. The story chronicles the 1997 murder of her brother, the legendary Gianni Versace, and the intense aftermath for her family and their global fashion empire. She steps into the role of a woman thrust into the spotlight by an unthinkable tragedy.

Her performance was widely praised for its incredible transformation, as she adopted Donatella’s distinctive voice, mannerisms, and appearance. Beyond the physical resemblance, she captured the immense grief, steel-willed determination, and protective instincts of a sister tasked with preserving her brother’s artistic legacy against all odds.

‘All About My Mother’ (1999)

She plays the gentle and compassionate Sister María Rosa in this celebrated film. Her character is a kind young nun in Barcelona who works in a shelter for sex workers. She finds herself in a difficult situation after becoming pregnant and discovering she is also HIV-positive, and she must rely on the kindness of others.

Her storyline is central to the film’s themes of love, loss, and unconventional families. She forms a deep bond with the movie’s main character, a grieving mother who finds a new purpose in caring for the young nun. This early collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar was a beautiful showcase for her dramatic abilities.

‘Open Your Eyes’ (1997)

Cruz stars as the enchanting Sofía, who becomes the instant obsession of a handsome and narcissistic young man named César. They share one perfect, magical night together before a tragic event sends César’s life spiraling out of control. Sofía represents a glimpse of true happiness that is snatched away from him.

After a disfiguring car accident, César’s perception of reality begins to fracture, and he can no longer tell if his experiences with Sofía are real or just a dream. Her character is the beautiful and mysterious heart of this psychological thriller, a constant presence in a story where nothing is as it seems.

‘Volver’ (2006)

In what is often considered one of her greatest performances, she plays Raimunda, a strong and determined working-class woman from Madrid. She is juggling multiple jobs while trying to protect her teenage daughter and hide a deeply traumatic secret from her own past. Her life is a daily struggle for survival.

The story takes a supernatural turn when the ghost of her dead mother appears, forcing long-buried family secrets into the open. As Raimunda, she is the film’s powerful emotional core, a portrait of resilience in the face of incredible hardship. Her moving performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

‘Pain and Glory’ (2019)

She portrays Jacinta, the devoted mother of the film’s protagonist, a celebrated film director who is reflecting on his life. She appears in a series of flashbacks to his childhood in a small village in the 1960s. These memories are painted with warmth and nostalgia, showing a time of poverty but also of deep maternal love.

In these sequences, she is the image of strength and grace, a mother who fosters her son’s creativity and shields him from the harshness of their world. Her performance is a loving tribute to the matriarchal figures that are so central to the films of Pedro Almodóvar, her frequent and most important collaborator.

‘Blow’ (2001)

She plays Mirtha Jung, the fiery and unpredictable wife of the American cocaine smuggler George Jung. After they meet, she is quickly drawn into his extravagant and dangerous world of wealth, parties, and drugs. Their relationship is a whirlwind of intense passion and destructive behavior.

Her character’s journey is a tragic one, as the thrill of the lifestyle gives way to a severe drug addiction that poisons their marriage and family. She delivers a powerful performance as a woman who goes from a charismatic partner in crime to a key figure in her husband’s eventual downfall.

‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ (2008)

Cruz delivered a scene-stealing, Oscar-winning performance as María Elena, the tempestuous and brilliant ex-wife of a charming artist. She bursts back into her ex-husband’s life just as he has begun a complicated relationship with two American women who are visiting Spain for the summer.

María Elena is a hurricane of emotion, a wildly talented but mentally unstable painter who is prone to fits of jealousy and rage. She speaks her mind in a rapid-fire mix of Spanish and English, creating chaos wherever she goes. Her hilarious and explosive performance is unforgettable, making her the undeniable standout of the film.

‘Broken Embraces’ (2009)

In this stylish and complex thriller, she plays Lena, a beautiful secretary who dreams of becoming an actress. To help her family, she becomes the mistress of a wealthy, controlling older man, who then finances her first film. On set, she falls into a secret and passionate affair with the movie’s director.

Told through flashbacks, the story unravels the tragic consequences of this forbidden love. She gives a captivating performance as a woman trapped by circumstance, navigating a dangerous world of obsession and jealousy. The role is another testament to her powerful collaboration with director Pedro Almodóvar.

‘Belle Époque’ (1992)

In one of her breakout roles, she plays Luz, the youngest and most innocent of four headstrong sisters. The story is set in Spain in 1931, where a handsome young army deserter finds refuge at the sisters’ countryside home. He quickly becomes enchanted by all four of them, each with her own unique personality.

This delightful and sun-drenched comedy follows the young man’s romantic escapades with each sister. Her character is the first to win his affection with her sweet and naive charm. The film was a major international success, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

‘Parallel Mothers’ (2021)

She gives a deeply moving performance as Janis, a successful photographer who decides to have a child on her own in her late thirties. In the maternity ward, she meets Ana, a scared teenager who is also about to become a single mother. The two women form a close bond as they give birth on the same day.

Their lives become unexpectedly and dramatically linked, forcing Janis to confront a difficult moral dilemma that ties into Spain’s own troubled history. The film is a complex exploration of motherhood and truth, and her portrayal of a woman caught between maternal love and a painful secret earned her another Oscar nomination.

‘Vanilla Sky’ (2001)

She stars as the warm and free-spirited Sofia Serrano, a woman who represents a chance for a more authentic life for a wealthy and arrogant playboy. He is instantly captivated by her, but their budding romance is cut short by a tragic event that leaves him scarred and his life in shambles.

This film is an American remake of the Spanish thriller ‘Open Your Eyes’, and she reprised her role as Sofia for this version. She is the emotional center of a complex story where the lines between reality and nightmare become completely blurred, leaving both the main character and the audience questioning everything.

‘Everybody Knows’ (2018)

In this tense psychological thriller, she plays Laura, a woman who returns from Argentina to her small hometown in Spain for her sister’s wedding. The happy family reunion takes a dark turn when Laura’s teenage daughter is kidnapped and held for a large ransom.

The terrifying event unravels the family, as deep-seated resentments and long-hidden secrets are dragged into the light. The suspicion that the kidnapper might be someone they know creates an atmosphere of paranoia and distrust. She gives a powerful performance as a mother pushed to the edge in a desperate search for her child.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (2011)

She joined the swashbuckling franchise as Angelica, a formidable pirate captain and a figure from Captain Jack Sparrow’s past. A master of deception and an expert swordswoman, she tricks Jack into joining her crew on a perilous mission to find the Fountain of Youth for her father, the fearsome Blackbeard.

Her character is a perfect foil for Jack Sparrow, as she is every bit his equal in wit, charm, and untrustworthiness. Their shared history creates a fun and fiery dynamic, full of romantic tension and constant betrayals, adding a fresh spark to the blockbuster adventure series.

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017)

She is part of the star-studded cast of suspects in this lavish adaptation of the famous mystery novel. She portrays Pilar Estravados, a quiet and devout Spanish missionary who is traveling on the luxurious train when one of the passengers is murdered.

Like everyone else on board, her character has a secret that connects her to the victim and a potential motive for the crime. She brings a quiet intensity to the role of a woman burdened by her past, adding another layer to the complex puzzle that the detective Hercule Poirot must solve.

‘Ferrari’ (2023)

She gives a commanding performance as Laura Ferrari, the wife of Italian sports car magnate Enzo Ferrari. Set in 1957, the film depicts a crisis point for the company and for their marriage, which has been fractured by the tragic death of their son and Enzo’s secret second family.

Cruz portrays Laura as a brilliant and fiery woman who is an essential partner in the Ferrari business. She is also a woman consumed by grief and rage, and her performance powerfully captures the pain of a wife and mother who is fighting for her place in her husband’s life and legacy.

Let us know which Penélope Cruz role you think is her absolute best in the comments.