Who is Penélope Cruz’s sister, dancer and actress Mónica Cruz? She stepped in as her sis’ body double in a Pirates of the Caribbean film, and the sisters have designed lines for Mango, Loewe and Geox

Oct 22 , 2024

Penélope Cruz’s sister, dancer and actress Mónica Cruz, stepped in as her sis’ body double in a Pirates of the Caribbean film, and the sisters have designed lines for Mango, Loewe and Geox. Photos: Getty Images, @monicacruz/Instagram

Mónica, who trained as a dancer and starred in the Spanish series Un Paso Adelante, has said she ‘cannot foresee a career in Hollywood’; she conceived her daughter via an anonymous sperm donor

Penélope Cruz, 50, and Mónica Cruz, 47, share a tight bond. The lookalike sisters grew up inseparable in a Madrid suburb, born to mother Encarna Sánchez and father Eduardo Cruz. While Penélope eventually found her way to Hollywood stardom, the bond between these two remained. “We talk all the time and tell each other everything,” Mónica told British media in 2007.

Despite both sisters being in the spotlight, Mónica insists they’ve always maintained their own identities. “Penélope was hyperactive – she didn’t sleep or eat – and I was always the calm child,” she continued. “I was the good girl – at least until I was 16 or 17!”

Mónica Cruz shared her interview with Elle Spain in March. Photo: @elle_spain, @monicacruz/Instagram

But who’s Penélope’s not-so-little sister? Here’s everything to know about Mónica Cruz.

Mónica is three years younger than Penélope Cruz

Mónica was born in 1977, three years after her big sis Penélope Cruz, born in 1974. The dynamic between these two was clear from the start. “Penélope was always the clown – acting, singing, fooling around – and I would just be sitting there looking at her,” Mónica shared with British media.

They also have a younger brother, Eduardo Cruz Jr, who’s a singer and composer.

She’s a professionally trained dancer

Both sisters were ballerinas long before acting called. Starting ballet at just four years old, Mónica kept dancing through her teenage years, eventually joining the Joaquín Cortés Dance Company at 17, per People.