Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz, the star of Pedro Almodóvar’s “Volver,” has become the first Spaniard to be nominated for an Oscar in the best actress category. Winning is not her primary concern, however.More important for the 32-year-old Cruz is to continue a career that already includes more than 35 films and earn the respect that has eluded her at times in Hollywood, where she has drawn more attention for her beauty and love affairs than her art. But, according to Cruz, as long as there’s a new book to read, there’s always hope.Robert Duvall
The newspaper "The New York Times" labeled him as the "Laurence Olivier of Hollywood" but Robert Duvall would like to be remembered as a master of the tango, love and passion that he reflected in his latest film as director, "Assassination Tango.” Accompanied since 1996 by the Argentine horse rider Luciana Pedraza, Duvall considers Argentina his second home and also the source of his second language, at least when the music does not leave this veteran of 75 years wordless. He is the recipient of six Oscar nominations and a win. The golden statuette sits at his home in the Andes.Maria Marin
Puerto Rican motivational speaker, businesswoman and columnist Maria Marin has devoted her energies to the subjects of personal improvement and the “art of negotiation” through her company Voice of Empowerment. Marin is known at the workshops and conferences she gives for her persuasive and enthusiastic style and that ability to inspire combined with her expertise have led her to become the only Hispanic woman to teach negotiation skills worldwide. The current spokeswoman for the American Diabetes Association’s “Por tu familia” Latino health program, Marin helps people overcome their personal obstacles and teaches the importance of trusting in oneself.
Francis Ford Coppola
An American by birth and Italian at heart, Francis Ford Coppola now has his sights set on Latin America and is learning Spanish. This cinematic giant, best known for directing “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now,” will find that the language comes in handy now that he has a production firm in Argentina and hotels in Guatemala and Belize and is preparing to start shooting “Tetro,” a film about an Argentine family in which Spaniards Javier Bardem and Maribel Verdú have starring roles.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect example of the California blonde, but also an “adopted daughter” of the Spanish city of Talavera de la Reina, where she lived as an exchange student and learned Spanish. This citizen of the world won an Oscar at the age of 26 for her role in Shakespeare in Love and had highly publicized romances with Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. Paltrow now lives in London with husband Chris Martin, the lead singer of the English rock band Coldplay, and their two children. Paltrow’s worldly background is reflected in her ability with languages, as she speaks English and Spanish fluently and also has good command of Italian, French and German.Pedro Almodovar
A native of the Spanish region of La Mancha , the setting of Cervantes’ classic novel “Don Quijote,” Almodóvar always has a book with him when he travels. His screenplays are completely his own – never adapted – and are the basis for the undeniable originality that characterizes his cinematic work. But in the home of the two-time Oscar winner – for Best Foreign Language Film (“Todo sobre mi madre”) in 1999 and Best Original Screenplay (“Hable con ella”) in 2002 – the most important things are his books.
