It wouldn’t be an award show if Penelope Cruz and Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t make their marks on the red carpet! But on Feb. 26, both style stars donned two very different and elegant ensembles at the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

While Gwyneth opted for a winter white floor-length dress, Penelope rocked a gorgeous off-the-shoulder number instead.

Based on these very fashion forward looks, I think it’s safe to say that Gwyneth and Penelope were both stylish smashes Sunday night!

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem dined out with their 10-month-old son Leo Bardem in Italy on Saturday. The trio sat down to share an al fresco lunch, and Penelope and Javier took turns holding a smiling Leo on their laps. He stuck to baby food, while mom and dad shared spaghetti and kept him entertained. The Bardem-Cruz family has been spending time in Rome in recent weeks while Penelope shoots Venuto al Mondo there. The film, which also stars Emile Hirsch, has taken them to Sarajevo and Croatia this Fall as well. Despite her busy work schedule, Penelope is clocking lots of quality time with her family members during the production. Earlier in the week, Penelope hung out with her sister Monica Cruz and her boyfriend Alex Gonzalez in the city. Javier has been taking a brief break from the big screen while the family travels for Penelope’s new project, but he already has his next high profile project lined up — Javier confirmed his role as the next Bond villain!

The “Nine” star scooped the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress last year for her performance in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and admits receiving the gold statue was one of the happiest moments in her life.

Penelope is proud to show off her prize at her home and once even took her Oscar to the beach.

She said: “My Oscar lives in my house, but it changes rooms all the time. I’m looking at it in different places to make the final decision. I even took it to the beach one day. It’s like being five when you finally get a toy you’ve been asking for.”

Since winning the prestigious prize, the 35-year-old actress insists she doesn’t feel any extra pressure when making her films, because she has always worked hard.

Penelope – who is believed to be engaged to Javier Bardem – added to Stylist magazine: “I’ve always felt under pressure and had a lot of insecurity, so that doesn’t change and I don’t want that to alter. I don’t want to get to the set and feel too secure.”

“I’ve worked for so many years feeling a lot of respect and healthy fear of the work and I don’t feel I can change that now.”

Speaking on the red carpet at the London premiere of the musical movie in Leicester Square last night (December 3, 2009), the 35-year-old Spanish actress admitted her singing was a bit rusty because she hadn’t done it in public for years.

The 35-year-old star told BANG Showbiz: “Singing was terrifying because it was new and because it was my first time.”

“It was like doing theater, but I only did theater as a student in Spain.”

Penelope – who plays seductress, Carla Albanese, who seduces Daniel Day-Lewis’ character, director Guido Contini, in the film – also revealed her sexy look in the movie was aided by some very good costume designers.

She said: “The woman who designed the costumes for every one of us, I think she really must be one of the most amazing artists.”

Penelope was joined on the red carpet by several of her co-stars, including Nicole Kidman, 42, Kate Hudson, 30, and Judi Dench, 74.

Judi admitted she was surprised by how well all the actresses got along, saying: “They’re wonderful, I mean every single one, I swear you’re going to be surprised. They’re going to surprise everyone.”

The Spanish actress put in weeks of training for one particular scene in the musical movie – about a film director struggling in his relationships with women, in which Penelope plays the central character’s mistress – where she had to slide down a rope.

Describing the scene, Penelope said: “They mapped it out and showed me how it was done. I said I would never be able to do it but I worked and worked and regained the memory of muscles in my legs I hadn’t used since I was a teenager studying ballet.”

Penelope, 35, was rehearsing for the film’s rope scenes for three months before they were eventually completed, and was left with calluses on her hands and bleeding digits from sliding down the ropes so often.

She added to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper: “I was stretching, running and going to the gym to get my arms strong to support me on the ropes. But with my hands, after a while you don’t feel the pain. I had the wounds dressed and carried on.”

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem were in LA over the weekend, but he was already on the go again Sunday as he arrived for a flight out of LAX.

Penelope stayed behind, and yesterday afternoon she stepped out for a facial at Chez Gabriela. Read more »

Penelope Cruz is sleeping with her Oscar award.

The Spanish star picked up the Best Supporting Actress prize for her role in “Vicky Christina Barcelona” on Sunday (February 22, 2009) and was so thrilled she took the famous golden statue to bed.

She told US TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey: “When they gave it to me I could not stop crying for 20 minutes.”

Read more »

Penelope Cruz won the first Academy Award of the night Sunday, claiming the supporting-actress honor as a tempestuous artist in Woody Allen’s Spanish romance “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

The win capped a big weekend for Cruz, fresh off her win Saturday for the same prize at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film. “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” features Cruz as an unstable Spaniard in a steamy three-way affair with her ex-husband and an American woman.

Read more »