Penelope Cruz once held the mighty power to shout a resounding “no” at the very outset of her career, creating a hilarious plot twist in Hollywood.
The sizzling sensation of Tinseltown spilled the beans about a time when she had a strict no-nudity policy, refusing to showcase her birthday suit in steamy romantic scenes. Picture this: a young Penelope, destined for stardom, boldly declaring, “I’d rather keep my clothes on, thank you very much!”
In her illustrious career, the 49-year-old Spanish enchantress has cast spells on audiences with her seductive roles, like in the 2009 film Nine, where she rocked stockings and a sultry laced corset, or the 2012 thriller Twice Born, featuring scorching intimate scenes with Emile Hirsch.
But rewind to a time when the budding actress-to-be, fresh-faced and twenty, faced a dilemma as she eyed her first big break in the land of dreams and sequins – America. With dreams as big as her hair, she jetted from her cozy Spanish abode to the USA, only to be greeted by a surprise twist that even M. Night Shyamalan would appreciate.
Upon landing, Penelope discovered that the German director had played a sneaky little game of hide-and-seek, conveniently forgetting to mention that she’d have to bare it all for a pivotal role. Talk about a plot twist!
In her own words, “The first opportunity I had to do a casting, the director said, ‘You need to sign this clause that says you will do a couple of sex scenes.’ I was very shocked because it was not in the script before. I was in LA alone and I said, ‘I don’t understand because I had this script for a year and that was not there.'”
Enter Penelope’s comedic rebellion: “I didn’t like that game, I didn’t like that I was not told before I got on that 14-hour flight.” With a theatrical “No!” that echoed across the audition room, she stood her ground, turning down the screen test with a flair that would make even the boldest Hollywood heroes proud.
As she recalls the showdown, “I said, ‘No, I am not signing.’ They said, ‘OK, you’re not doing the screen test.’ I went into the room, and I spoke very little English, but for some reason that day I could speak English.”
And thus, the tale of Penelope Cruz, the unsung hero of auditions, unfolded with a script more entertaining than a Hollywood blockbuster. Who knew saying “no” could be such a scene-stealer? Take a bow, Penelope – you’ve given a whole new meaning to the term “dressing down the script!”
