by Paula Bustamante
Agence France-Presse

HOLLYWOOD–Penelope Cruz created a piece of Hollywood history here on Sunday after becoming the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar for her performance in the Woody Allen comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

The 34-year-old’s victory in the supporting actress category represented a glittering recognition of an acting talent that has seen her appear in two Oscar-winning foreign language movies.

However it was her scene-stealing performance as Maria Elena, the neurotic wife of an artist, in Allen’s steamy Barcelona-set comedy that finally saw her strike Oscars gold.

Born in Madrid in 1974, Cruz appeared destined for a career in the entertainment industry almost as soon as she could walk. As a child she entertained family members by mimicking popular television commercials.

Her initial creative outlet was dancing however, and she was soon enrolled at Spain’s National Conservatory where she studied classical ballet for nine years. At 15 however, she was nudged towards acting after beating 300 other girls to win a contract.

That led to a string of roles in Spanish television shows as well as music videos, and before long she was acting in full-fledged feature films.

Her breakthrough performance came in Spanish director Bigas Luna’s “Jamon, Jamon” in 1992, which received critical acclaim and was notable for its erotic scenes featuring a 16-year-old Cruz and Javier Bardem.

That was followed soon afterwards by “Belle Epoque,” which went on to win the Oscar for best foreign film, Cruz playing the role of one of four sisters vying for the love of an army deserter.

The next major milestone in Cruz’s career however came in 1997, when she was cast in her first film by Pedro Almodovar.

“Live Flesh” marked the beginning of a decade-long collaboration between Almodovar and the actress which has included roles in another foreign language Oscar-winner, 1999’s “All About My Mother,” and “Volver.”

“Working for Pedro was my dream, I was obsessed with him,” Cruz said. “My biggest dream ever was receiving his telephone call.”

While Cruz has achieved critical success in Spanish-language films, she has found it harder to establish herself in mainstream Hollywood.

She achieved a rare but unwanted feat in 2001 when she received three nominations in the “Golden Raspberries” Oscars spoof, which salute the film world’s “worst of the worst,” in a single year.

Cruz earned Razzies for “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” “Blow,” and “Vanilla Sky,” a film which saw her star opposite Tom Cruise, who was to become her boyfriend for three years.

Cruz has yet to score a genuine box-office hit in English, with recent flops including “Gothika” and “Sahara.”

However she reminded everyone of her talents — and picked up an Oscar nomination to boot — with 2006’s “Volver.”

The fiercely independent Cruz, who has been romantically linked to compatriot and “Jamon Jamon” co-star Bardem, is also wary of being type-cast simply for her striking physical beauty.

“The most difficult thing in the world is to start a career known only for your looks, and then to try to become a serious actress,” she says. “No one will take you seriously once you are known as the pretty woman.”