Penelope Cruz Most people know actress Penelope Cruz for her roles in outstanding films. These films include Vanilla Sky, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Penelope Cruz is the one of the most successful, well known Spanish actresses; however, her life is more than just acting. Penelope Cruz Sanchez aka Penelope Cruz was born on April 28, 1974 in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain. Penelope’s parents Eduardo and Encarna named her after a song written by Spanish singer Joan Manuel Serrat. Penelope is labeled Spanish because both her parents are originally from Spain. She always amused her family when she re-enacted television commercials. Cruz immediately took up dance for her choice of performing arts; she studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain’s National Conservatory. At age 15, Cruz found her true calling after beating 300 other girls at a talent agency competition. After this outstanding success, she was featured as a dancer in many music videos, also she was offered a job hosting Spanish TV’s La Quinta Marcha (“Penelope Cruz Biography” 3). Alcobendas is a city located in the Community of Madrid, central Spain. It takes about ten hours to get there on plane. Alcobendas is one of the largest places in Spain with a population of …show more content…
She was the first Spanish actress to win an Academy Award. Cruz was very involved in charity and giving back to society. She supported many charitable organizations such as Global Green, Red Cross, St. Jude Children’s Research, and 21st Century Leaders. She donated her entire salary in 1998 from the film The Hi-Lo Country to the Mother Theresa Students in Calcutta, India after spending a week volunteering there. She helped to assist at a leprosy clinic. She also volunteered in Uganda for two months supporting poverty stricken and ill people. Penelope founded a non-government organization called Sabera Foundation (“Look to the
Natalie Wood, who born in San Francisco, was an American film and television actress. Wood is married from Robert Wagner, and they have three children. Natalie Wood died on November 29, 1981, and no one knows how exactly she died. In addition, Wood was with her husband and their friend in the boat, and she argued with Wagner before living the boat. Also, Wood afraid of water her whole life, and she died by drowning on a weekend trip.
Selena Quintanilla Perez was born on April 16, 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas. Selena grew up understanding Spanish, but English was her first language. At the age of five Selena saw her brother learning to play the guitar and became jealous of the attention he was getting. She picked up a songbook and began to sing. Her family quickly turned their attention to her strong and beautiful voice. In the first grade Selena excelled at a game called Jump the Brook, in which two ropes are placed side by side and each kid takes a turn jumping across.1 In middle school Selena was in honors classes and made A’s and B’s. Selena used her allowance to put clothes on layaway. As a teenager, Selena hung all of her awards on the wall next to the staircase in her family’s house. As an adult, Selena was very involved with kids. She was a spokeswoman for the D.A.R.E. Program.
Far from the ordinary reality television star with 15 minutes of fame, HIV/AIDS activist and educator Pedro Zamora was a inspiration and role model to the GBLT community and the rest of the world. Born February 29th, 1972, to Cuban parents, Hector and Zoraida, he was raised in a small town near Havana, Cuba. After previously having seven children, Pedro's mother was told prior to his birth that she would not be able to have any more children, so when she did give birth to him he was seen almost as a miracle. Born feet first on leap day in a leap year added to the idea that he was a very special child. A priestess of Santeria even blessed him as an infant and called him a "wise one", a soul who was born to save lives. He grew up in a very small house with a dirt floor, and food was scarce with his mother trading things on the black market in exchange for food to support their large family. Growing up in these grim conditions made his childhood tough, but things changed for the better when Zamora's family moved to Hialeah, a suburb of Miami, Florida (Mills).
Robert F Kennedy had gone to Marilyn's home that day, they had gotten into an argument and sometime after that he left with a partner of Ginancana named Johnny Roselli. He visited her around 10pm, purposely leaving the front door unlocked, letting five hit men enter her house. One crept up behind her and slipped a chloroform-soaked washcloth over her face and gave her an enema of barbiturates and took her to her bathroom. Departing the house when they hear Marilyn's housekeeper come into the house” said Darwin Potter, biographer and travel writer. Police contact and a man named Peter Lawford arrived and stole Marilyn Monroe's little red diary, which she kept all her sexual affair details in, which all made the scene after a while.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was born on the 12th of November, 1651 as Juana Ramírez de Asbaje. She was born in San Miguel Napantla, Viceroyalty of New Spain (present day Mexico) to a Spanish man Pedro Manuel de Asbaje and a Creole woman Isabel Ramírez. Her parents were never married, hence she was born out of wedlock and deemed a daughter of the church. After begging her mother to let her cross-dress in order to go to college, Sor Juana’s mother finally sent her to Mexico City to live with family and there her dreams to study actually came true.
Carmen Miranda was born in Portugal in February 1909. Her christened name was Maria do Carmo Miranda de Cunha. Her parents were Jose and Maria. She grew up in a strict Roman Catholic household. Jose was both a salesperson and a barber. However, Carmen was only educated until she was fourteen years old. Afterwards she began working at a department store to help support her family. She was both a model and a saleswoman. To pass the time she sang to her fellow co- workers. This lead to her big break when a chance encounter with a guitarist landed her a vocal gig on a local radio station and a job at a nightclub. Her father did not approve of the way his daughter’s life was headed. However, when presented with the sum of money she would make his mind changed. He still didn’t want her full name to be used though so she became known as “Carmen Miranda” (Carmen, 2006).
Celia Cruz was born in Cuba, in 1925. Her father was a railroad stroker and her mother was stay at home mom. She grew up in a poor town named Santos Suarez, with 13 other siblings. She always used to sing them to sleep, and that's when she discovered her passion for it. In 1940 Celia won a singing contest called “La hora de te”, and that's where her career really took off. While her mother supported her, her father did not. He wanted her to become a teacher, and not a showgirl. In a 1997 interview with Marvette Perez, she said, "I have fulfilled my father's wish to be a teacher as, through my music, I teach generations of people about my culture and the happiness that is found in just living life. As a performer, I want people to feel their
Daniela Vega appeared in Fantastic Woman, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It took her years to start thinking of herself as an actor and not just someone who was trying her hand at acting. She was as surprised as anyone to receive a script she’d been a consultant with years prior to find herself in the lead role. She decided instead to try to do different careers. She trained as a cooker, although no one wanted to hire her, but later she got a degree in makeup and hairstyling, which eventually brought her to the stage. Daniela had been asked by a director to collaborate on stage. Daniela won her first oscar with the movie Fantastic Women that was her first movie she starred in and won her first
Julia Alvarez was born on March 27, 1950, in New York, New York, yet she spent her early years in the Dominican Republic. While living in
Selena’s death sent “shockwaves” across the Latin community as well as the English-language. Tens of thousands went to her funeral to pay their respect to her and her family. After her death, Selena’s first English album, “Dreaming of You”, was released and became a huge hit. They made a movie of her biography in 1997, starring Jennifer Lopez as Selena and James Edward Olmos as her father. Thousands of people visit her grave, Mirador de la Flor, in Corpus Christi, near the Selena Museum dedicated to her life, fame, and career. Even today, she’s still considered “La Reina de Tejano” and her legacy still lives on.
Celia Cruz was born in a humble neighborhood of Santo Suarez in Havana, Cuba on October 21, 1924. She was one of 14 children. One of her chores was to sing to her youngest sibling to sleep. Her first appearance as a child earned her a pair of shoes from a tourist that was watching. As a teenager she performed in many talent shows at school and community gatherings. Also her aunt took her cousin and her to nightclubs and cabarets. Yet, while her family supported her talent, her father was insisting for Celia to continuing her school so she could become a teacher.
Spain, the third largest country in Europe, has a strong history and diverse culture dating back to when the Iberians first inhabited the land. The country lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and the land ranges from mountains to meadows. Over hundreds of centuries, many different civilizations have inhabited the land influencing the people there today. From the Visigoths and Celts to the Romans of the Middle Ages, Spain has received a rich history and background. One of the strongest of its cultures is the food. All of these cultures brought a particular type of food and combined and blended with the food that exists there today. Spain is very popular for olives, vineyards, and citrus fruit. Another well-liked food is garlic, including varieties of peppers and spices. Once spice specifically—golden saffron—is essential in many recipes, including the Spanish Paella. There are many distinguished Spanish foods that encompass the daily life and culture of the country.
Gabrielle Chanel remains one of the most well-known fashion designers of all time. She was born on August 19, 1883 in France and died in 1971. Chanel revolutionized the fashion industry with her distinctive style. After the death of her mother, she spent much of her childhood in an orphanage. The challenges of her early life helped build her strong character which influenced her path in life. Chanel was nicknamed “Coco” after a lost dog in a popular song she loved to sing. Her early career was funded by a succession of her rich lovers. This allowed her to open her first shop in Paris in 1910. She sold hats as well as some garments. Coco developed a significant following of clientele who enjoyed her practical sportswear creating great success.
ahatma Gandhi once stated that “A nations culture resides in the hearts and souls of its people” This holds evident in the European country of Spain. Spain is a country of long time tradition in which people work hard to continue on with a culture they created long ago. Spain is a very colorfully cultured country with many famous and important traditions which include bullfighting, the art of flamenco dancing and La Siesta.
Another reason she is my hero is she loves to be a humanitarian. There are many humanitarian works that she has joined. Jolie first witnessed the effects of a humanitarian crisis while filming (2001) in war-torn Cambodia, an experience she later credited with having brought her a greater understanding of the world. She donated to an international UNHCR emergency appeal. Jolie was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador at UNHCR