A love that took many years to make! Penélope CruzAnd Javier BardemThey were together for more than a decade before they became romantically involved.
The film was shot in 1992 and the couple met. Jamón, Jamón. They reunited for 2008’s Vicky Cristina BarcelonaSparks flew.
Cruz and Bardem first began dating in 2007. They secretly married in July 2010 and had two children, Leo in January 2011 & Luna in July 2013.
The actress reflected on her relationship with the actor at the beginning of their relationship. Eat Pray Love star in Marie Claire’s February 2019 issue. “You know it’s the beginning of something, but you don’t know what it’s the beginning of,” she explained at the time.
Cruz stated that she didn’t rush into settling down even though that was always her goal. “My life is … a very different life. But it’s the life that I always wanted since I was a little girl,” she said. “When I was 4 or 5, I was already performing, and the characters in my games were always mothers. As long as I can recall, I wanted to be a mom. But I did it when I felt the time was right — the right time, the right person.”
The American Crime StoryBardem and alum have continued to act together over the years as their dynamic changed both on and off screen. “Life has changed. We have grown,” he told Vulture in February 2019. “Everything is different once you’re a family. As it should, that is the priority. We’re no exception from that. We work as hard as we can, but we recognize how hard we can work depends on each other’s needs. It’s important not to be confused by fiction. Fiction is fiction, reality is its own thing.”
The SkyfallThe actor acknowledged that his approach to Cruz as a star changed over time. “When you’re younger — because we’ve worked together many times over the years, we met when I was 21 and she was 16 — you tend to confuse one for the other, or mix them,” he elaborated. “Now, I’m going to be 50 in a few weeks, and I don’t do this anymore. She’s the same way. You must always know when you’re working on a level of recreation, outside of real life.”
He concluded: “Penélope and I, we have to protect the ‘us.’”
Scroll through the gallery below to revisit Bardem and Cruz’s relationship.
