Los Goya's

Stardust was in the air in Spain last Sunday!
Los Goya Gala, The Spanish Oscar Gala.
This year was the 25th time Los Goya's were held.

Film industry is huge in Spain. Huge.

This years best Actress was Nora Navas from the movie Pa Negre ( Black Bread )

And as everyone was expecting,
Best Actor was Javier Bardem and movie Biutiful

Javier Bardem is also nominated for Oscars for the same role, Biutiful as a movie will compete in the category of " Best Foreign Film".

OSCAR's will be held on 27th February and entire Spain is waiting to win..BOTH!

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz just gave birth to a baby boy, Leo, on 22nd January. On his thank you speech he mentioned first thing his wife and son.

However,  there is no way to talk about Spanish Filmindustry without mentioning first The Oscar Winner Pedro Almodovar.

The Grand Man of Cinema. Wicked director who has done loads of great movies. List is long..

 -Pedros Life-

One of my favorites is High Heels .. from 1991
I love the movie and this song. Think of Me, Piensa En Mi by  Luz Casal

Also, one movie I like is the " Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown"  a black comedy about how crazy we women are ( and life ). This movie has also been produced as Broadway Musical  -here-

The biggest name of the Spanish Filmstars must be Andalucian Own Boy :


Antonio Banderas


He was born in Malaga and  has a huge mansion in Marbella by the beach. The story says that he got busted for building a house that is bigger than he got papers to build. So, instead of tearing it down, he gave away to "city and people " hundreds of meters his beach line..
I also heard, no-one uses this beach- because its Antonio's.
People loves him here!

Antonio Banderas was born 1960,  his mother was a school teacher and his father a police officer. His stage name; Banderas, is his mothers name he took when started acting ( Ana Bandera )
His childhood dream was to become a professional footballer but had to let this dream go when he broke badly his leg at the age of 14. Banderas married first a Spanish woman but divorced her after meeting Melanie Griffith in a movie shoooting 1996. I think; one of the amazing Hollywood marriages that actually has lasted ever since.. Banderas owns 50% of a wineyard in Burgos in Andalucia,   "Anta Banderas" makes rose and red-wines. He actually uses his house here and can be seen walking around on the streets in Marbella.

Antonio The Zorro

Antonio The Desperado

Then we have The Amazing Duo, Spanish Love Birds everyone follows here..
The couple that has many Goya's home among other Awards they have received..

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem

aaaah.. as I mentioned earlier they just got a baby boy, Leo. - And you can imagine how much there is stories in the news, newspapers and magazines. ( who needs Tom Cruise when you can have Javier)

Also, not bad genes in this little boy... Born as Aquarius in horoscope and parents are full talent;
I kinda have a feeling world will hear about this Leo when he grows up a bit ;)

Penelope Cruz 

is the first Spanish actress ever nominated for Oscars Best Actress ( Almodovar's Volver  2006) - and the first Spanish woman ever to win one, She got best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2008 for her role in Woody Allens:  Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Great great movie! Starring both, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.

Penelope Cruz talks about the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona here;

Penelope ( born 1974  in Madrid)  started her acting career very young and made her film debut here in Spain when she was only 17yrs old.  ( Jamon, Jamon ) She was topless in this movie and became instantly a superhot star! Her co-star in this movie, her first ever lead role, was Javier Bardem who she married then many years after... How funky is that!

Penelope has been the star in many movies made by Pedro Almodovar and they are very close friends.

She has 1 sister and owns a  design clothing store in Madrid with her where they sell their own designs.
They have designed clothes for Mango. She has also been a model for L'oreal, Mango, Ralph Lauren..
Her face has been in the cover of Vogue and many other publications.

She is also a busy activist for the nature, has given lot of money to charity and has volunteered in Uganda, Nepal, India... She has been part of the struggle against AIDS and many many things.. - busy girl!

more of Penelope Cruz's life - here

Now, lets hope  "Pe"  gets a nice peacefull well deserved maternity leave ;)

Javier Bardem 

A Superstar! Javier Angel Encinas Bardem, born 1969 in Las Palmas, Cran Canaria. His mother is also actress and his father a business man. He comes from a huge huge film industry background! His entire family has been involved with cinema since the early days of Spanish film making. Grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins..  His sister and his brother are also actors. Amazing family!

Bardem has done loads of different things, among others, he has played Rugby in Spanish league and done paintings...

He was raised strictly Roman Catholic but is Atheist nowadays and has been strongly involved in the same-sex marriage- legislation here in Spain. He has said that " if I were gay, I would get married tomorrow, just to mess with the church" . He also calls himself as a "worker" not an actor or a filmstar.

He has starred in many tv-series and movies but only got his First Academy Award Nominee ( Oscars ) this year, for his role in the move Biutiful. He heard the news he got nominated 3 days after his first son was born!

More of Javier Bardems life - here

Spanish Movie Industry is great and huge.
Loads of money involved each year and many more great actors and actresses than just these three...
Screen Junkies have voted for the TOP 10 Best Spanish Movie Stars
- Top 10 Spanish Movie Stars



Here is some Antonio Banderas  for You .. What a hot Andalucian Man!