Cruz honored for her cinema career
During a tribute to her career at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), actor Penelope Cruz recalled the Betamax videotape store that opened in her neighborhood, in a suburb of Madrid, when she was a child and that made her discover cinema.
It was there where she rented all the films of Spanish movie director Pedro Almodovar, she said.
“I watched, and I laughed, I cried, and I learned,” she said at a starstudded benefit Tuesday at the museum. “I would not be here tonight, being honored by MoMA, if I had not had the privilege of working with brilliant directors who have inspired me, taught me, helped me grow as an artist and as a person. I want to thank them all tonight, and specially my Pedro.”
The recognition comes a decade after the museum paid the same tribute to Almodovar, who has worked with Cruz in seven films. The latest movie by the director, “Parallel Mothers,” starring Cruz, opens in the United States on Dec. 24.
An exciting moment of the night was when Almodovar sent a video message to Cruz, congratulating her on the recognition.
He recalled in the video a dialogue with the actor that they had when they promoted “All About My Mother” (1999).
“You told me that when I get old you will take care of me. I’m not that old yet, but I hope you keep your word,” he said, provoking laughter in the audience. “When I am an old man, I hope you come and become, in this case, my mother. It would be a reflection of all the mothers that you have been for me throughout these seven films.”
Among those paying tribute to the Spanish actor at the annual film benefit were Anne Hathaway, Diane Kruger and Rebecca Hall. Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, Spanish singer Rosalia and fashion designer Zac Posen also didn’t miss the event.
Cruz joins a group of previous MoMA honorees that includes Martin Scorsese, Tom Hanks, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett, Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney.
Shakira to lead dance competition series: Shakira is taking the social media dance craze to a whole new level. Partnering with NBC, the star is heading a new dance challenge series, “Dancing With Myself,” inspired by Shakira’s own passion for dance.
Every week a new group of dancers of all ages will compete in a series of dance challenges that are designed and demonstrated by the show’s celebrity creators, including Shakira.
Shakira and her panel of judges provide feedback and encouragement, leaving the audience with the decision of who wins Best Dancer of the Night to take home the cash prize.
“I’m excited to be a part of a dance competition that places such a high value on creative movement and how it translates into personal expression, not to mention how it contributes to a sense of community,” Shakira said of the show slated to debut next year. Dec. 16 birthdays: Actor Joyce Bulifant is 84. Journalist Lesley Stahl is 80. Musician Billy Gibbons is 72. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 58. Comedian JB Smoove is 56. Singer Michael McCary is 50. Actor Krysten Ritter is 40. Actor Theo James is 37. Actor Amanda Setton is 36. Actor Anna Popplewell is 33.