Spanish actress and model Penelope Cruz, best known for her roles in Vanilla Sky, Blow, and Waking Up in Reno, turns 40 years old today.
Voted as the 7th most desirable woman in 2010 by Askmen.com, the now mother of two didn’t start out wanting to be an actress. Cruz focused on dance, specifically ballet, but it was around the age of 15 that she began having an interest in acting. In 1989 she competed in a talent agency contest and beat more than 300 girls to win.
“She was absolutely magic. It was obvious there was something very impressive about this kid,” Cruz’s agent Katrina Bayonas said in 1999. “She was very green, but there was a presence. There was just something coming from within.”
Now there is speculation that Cruz could be appearing in the next Bond movie alongside Daniel Craig. The rumor began when a document was reportedly leaked by Sony Pictures, which lists Cruz as a cast member.
These rumors are not new. Last summer after her husband, Javier Bardem, appeared in the 2012 Bond hit Skyfall, there was talk about Cruz being in negotiations to join the next film. However, an exclusive insider to US Weekly said that the rumors are just that: rumors.
“Penelope is not in talks to be a Bond girl in a James Bond movie,” the insider said. “The stories are totally false.”
But perhaps this insider, who was quoted last summer, is a bit behind.
A source told The Sun newspaper that “Bond bosses have been chasing [Cruz] since Daniel became 007 in 2006. But schedules and her pregnancies meant it never materialized. At this stage no one at Sony will confirm it.”
Hmm … so you’re saying there’s a chance.
Director Sam Mendez, who oversaw Skyfall, will once again direct Bond 24. This is probably a good thing since the 2012 film is the highest-grossing in the franchise’s 50-year history, raking in over $1 billion in global box office receipts.
With or without the 40-year old actress, the next Bond movie will be released in the U.S. on November 6, 2015.
Image via YouTube