This Magnificent Spanish Actress Is the Successor to Penelope Cruz and a Hollywood Celebrity

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The New Penelope Cruz

If you know a thing or two about Spanish cinematography, then you have at least heard of Penelope Cruz. She has produced amazing performances in a number of classics, including Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Jamon, Jamon. As her successor comes the beautiful Paz Vega, who has been fascinating audiences for the past two decades not only with her beautiful looks but also with outstanding performances in productions like Siete Vidas, and Lucia y el Sexo. In this article, we will be going through the beginnings of this magnificent Spanish actress, as well as how she has gone on to foster a family.

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Becoming an Actress - Not an Initial Dream

Being from Seville, Paz Vega first attended the Gustavo Adolfo Becque Institute, as well as San Jose theater school. However, her initial dream was not to become an actress but rather pursue a career as a journalist. This is the main reason why she moved to Madrid, the capital of Spain, and tried to study Information Science. Very soon after, she realized that her life simply wouldn’t be going in that direction, and she returned to what she did best - acting.

The True Representative of Spanish Culture

Whether you have visited Spain or read about it, you have surely heard of the bullfights, which are a part of this country’s culture. We are personally against it, and so are many of the young generations that are trying to fight the animal abuse that is related to bullfighting. However, Paz Vega’s father was a Novillero, which is basically a professional in such events. Luckily, he moved on and stopped this practice. Meanwhile, her sister dances Flamenco, which is another important part of Spanish culture.

True to the Camera

One of the greatest facts about Paz Vega is that she seems to be the same in real life as she is on camera. What this means is that the beautiful smile she is wearing as a trademark throughout most of her roles and at all film-related events is something that you would inevitably notice if you met her in person. That level of confidence and natural appearance on stage is quite impressive given the fact that she started her professional career quite late - at the age of 23. 

An Appearance on Friends

No, it was not the original American version, so don’t bother to try and find an episode in which she makes a special appearance. However, the 7 Lives tv series is a Spanish version of this classic and has a similar theme as the original Friends. Not only that, but as she played one of the major roles on this show, it allowed her to break through and make a fantastic foundation for moving on and becoming a great Hollywood actress.

A Lot Like Penelope Cruz

As we mentioned above, probably the most legendary Spanish actress and Oscar winner Penelope Cruz is someone who Paz Vega resembles a lot. We are not only talking about physical appearance, such as the mesmerizing black hair and slim figure, but also how she engages in acting and represents herself in a scene. However, whenever she is directly compared to Penelope, Vega claims that, although she is quite honored to be compared to Cruz, there is only one “Cruz”, and she is unrepeatable.

Her Life's Turning Point

Her visibility in the American world started with her role in Spanglish, which became one of the most popular movies of 2004. Starring Tea Leoni, Adam Sandler, and Paz Vega, this film allowed the Sevillian girl to start making a name for herself in Los Angeles. Many times, she claimed that the role she played in the movie Lucia y el Sexo allowed her to prepare for the role that she played in Spanglish.

Never Forgot Spanish Roots

Her husband is one of the most famous Latin American businessmen, Venezuelan Orson Salazar, who she met while spending a vacation on a Spanish island. They went on to marry in 2002. Paz Vega has three children with Orson - a girl, Ava, as well as boys Lenon and Orson Jr.

A Dream for a Lot of Hollywood Men

If you have ever read a list of the most attractive women, you probably came across Paz Vega. With this in mind, there is no doubt that Salazar is quite a lucky man. Among the many different appreciations that she got for her looks, the most relevant one has to be “100 Most Attractive Women”, which is a list that is posted by the magazine Maxim on a yearly basis. She joined the ranks of Marisa Miller, Scarlett Johannson, Elisha Cubert, and Charlize Theron.

An Attractive Mischief

The director of the aforementioned movie, Spanglish, was James L. Brooks, who had both a lot of fun and confusion for the first few filming days with Paz Vega. Why? He didn’t speak any Spanish, but Paz Vega wasn’t fluent enough in English to communicate. Needless to say, there were a couple of translators that were involved in the filming process. As we can see, they did a fantastic job given the fact that Spanglish went on to become quite an impressive movie.

Stayed Connected to Her Family

While being a celebrity can be fun, it is also incredibly exhausting, as in most cases, it comes with extreme filming schedules and little time left for family. This is something that Paz Vega, her husband, and her children directly felt. In the first few years of her massive popularity, it was quite obvious that she became alienated from her family, but she learned to manage it with a couple of tricks. One of them was including her daughter in a filming session of the Paquita Salas, which was produced by Netflix!

A Role Model for her Daughter

We aren’t the least surprised by the fact that Ava Salazar,  the daughter of Paz Vega, has already made a name for herself in fashion and television. Although she is yet to reach the age of majority, she is already one of the most popular models for the Zara children's line. Not only that, but as mentioned above, she has appeared on the small screen multiple times already. It is going to be quite fun seeing if she will be able to detach from the shadow of her mother, much like Enrique Iglesias had to do with Julio.

Little Differences in Spanish and American Cinematography

As one of her boldest and most relevant statements, Paz Vega claimed that there is little to no difference between how the Spanish and American cinemas/filming industry works. Frankly, other than the size of the production and the budget, she said that the way everything is done and how directors communicate with actors is very similar. With this in mind, it is easier to understand why Paz Vega is so successful in Hollywood.

Paz Vega a Trickster?

She made her first big appearance at the Goya Awards back in 2001, when she won the award for best actress in Lucia y el Sexo. That day, Paz Vega left quite an impression, arriving in an attractive brown asymmetrical dress that highlighted all of her attributes. However, what most people don't know is that her actual last name isn't Vega (her mother’s surname) but rather Campas Trigo!

Giving a Horse Her Voice

By her personal claims, one of the roles that she is most proud of is the one in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, in which she gave her voice to the so-called Andalusian horses. To us, the fact that she did such a great job isn’t surprising given the fact that she comes from Sevilla, which is in the Andalusian province. 

Change in Style

It is well-known that, as a celebrity, you are sure to go through a number of style changes as you grow up and develop. That is exactly what happened with Paz Vega. She moved from attractive but too outgoing dresses 20 years ago to more stylish and elegant outfits, presenting herself in blouses and elegant black pants. Although a bit more formal, she is still able to showcase her attributes and how attractive she is!

Becoming a Businesswoman

We already mentioned that Paz Vega married Orson Salazar, who is one of the most successful Venezuelan businessmen. Apparently, as soon as she achieved financial stability, she decided to partner with her husband in a cooperative business starting in 2009. They started the brand Max Addict...Very Dangerous Shoes, a store that operates in Madrid selling attractive high heels that can be seen throughout Los Angeles and Europe.

Speaking Several Languages

At the beginning of her career, she had an impressive streak, earning an award for best actress in Lucia y el Sexo, as well as being nominated at the same event for Just Mine. She received an award for Fotogramas de Plata at the Cannes Film Festival. One of the things that we are most impressed by is that, although she had a rough start when it comes to the English language, she now speaks it fluently, along with Spanish, French, and Italian. That is quite an achievement, you have to agree. 

A Synonym for Sexy

One of the best proofs of how well she has done in the industry, as well as the fact that she remains the synonym for sexy, is the fact that Antonio Banderas hired her to promote his fragrance line a couple of years ago.

Dress Avalanches

As we have mentioned above, at the beginning of her career, one of the reasons that she was so popular and noticed was because of her dress choices. Influenced directly by Spanish tradition and folk music, she caused quite a stir while appearing on the premiere of Carmen in 2003, wearing a black and fuchsia outfit. Although maybe too provocative and attractive for some people, she certainly took all of the attention at this gala. 

Never Forgot Spain

Paz Vega understands that, for her professional career and for allowing her kids to become a part of the industry or pursue their own path, the USA is a good place to stay. However, although she has achieved a lot of success in Hollywood, she always stayed true to her roots and said that her heart remains in Spain and Sevilla!