Still in love with movies
Amid many projects, Cruz returns to Toronto International Film Festival
Spanish actress Penelope Cruz made her feature debut at 18 and has risen in prominence ever since.
Her newest movie, The Queen of Spain, about filming a U.S. movie in 1950s’ Spain, reunites her with director Fernando Trueba in a sequel of sorts to his 1998 movie Girl of Your Dreams. Q The Queen of Spain is a love letter to cinema — and it’s your third movie with Fernando Trueba.
A He’s an important director for me and an important person to me. That was the beginning of my career, when I did Belle Époque … and I’m grateful to him that he gave me one of my first opportunities. And he’s given me great characters. … He’s very free, a very unique author. He’s really passionate about cinema. He knows so much about it. When you’re with him on set, it’s a constant lesson, a constant inspiration. He’s an easy person to be around. He just enjoys being on a set. You can see that’s where he’s happiest.
Q You’ll be at the Toronto International Film Festival next month with Loving Pablo, a film about drug lord Pablo Escobar — which co-stars your husband (Javier Bardem). He’s also got Mother! at the festival. A I just saw the Escobar movie finished — it’s about Escobar and Virginia Vallejo, the journalist who was with him for 10 years and who went through all kinds of crazy moments with him. I think it’s a very interesting film. I love the festival. It’s a great atmosphere. It’s really about a love for film, a respect for film. And I love to see all those people together, celebrating film. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve seen great films. I feel privileged to be part of it and so happy Escobar will be shown there.
Q What do you learn making a movie such as The Queen of Spain?
A It gives a lot of information to other generations who have only heard their grandparents or parents talk about that era. Cinema can teach you so much. A good director like Fernando (Trueba) isn’t judging, they inspire interesting things and create a lot of debate. You can’t go in thinking you’ll change the world with film, but when you tackle subjects that are serious or affect humanity, I think there’s a responsibility that comes with the script, with the film.
Q Will you continue to do both indie films and big Hollywood pictures?
A I work in all kinds of projects, the small independent films and the bigger studio films. To be able to combine all of this, to work in four languages, I feel very privileged to have all these opportunities. This year I’ve had so many great things: working with Kenneth Branagh (directing her in Murder on the Orient Express), that’s a big studio film but great material, and he’s great, and then, playing Donatella Versace (for season 2 of American Crime Story), The Queen of Spain and Escobar coming up and now we are shooting the Asghar Farhadi film (Everybody Knows). All so different, and really interesting material. I feel very lucky, very privileged.