Iconic Women of the 90s Three Decades Later

Penelope Cruz knew she wanted to be an actress from a young age. At 15, she attended casting calls and visited agents, only to be rejected time and again due to her young age. Eventually, she landed her debut role at the age of 17 in the film Jamón Jamón (1991), alongside actor Javier Bardem. The film was a critical success, and so was Penelope’s performance.

Until the late nineties, Cruz appeared almost exclusively in Spanish or Italian films, but her talent and appearance has gained Hollywood’s attention. In 1997, a renowned Hollywood acting agent took Cruz under her wing. In 1998, she starred Penelope starred in the Western drama The Hi-Lo Country, her first role in an American film, alongside Billy Crudup and Woody Harrelson.