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'I don’t need to play characters that agree with me': Penélope Cruz on choosing roles

Oscar-winner Cruz enjoys an awards-season high with three acclaimed performances

Penelope Cruz in Bunker.

4 min read Oct 24, 2026 01:29 PM IST First published on: Oct 24, 2026 at 01:28 PM IST

Oscar-winner Penélope Cruz, 52, is having quite the awards season, competing against herself for the top honour in the best supporting actor category, after delivering compelling performances in three acclaimed films — La Bola Negra, The Invite and Bunker. This remarkable feat was not something the Spanish actor had perhaps anticipated. After becoming a mother to Leonardo in 2011 and Luna two years later, Cruz had “changed the rhythm” of her work. Making her children her “priority”, she would take up just one or two projects a year that did not demand too much of her time.

As the industry makes room for more nuanced roles for women, Cruz welcomes the growing opportunities for women her age to play layered characters.…