14 DAY TRIAL // Although often topping most international polls of beautiful people, actress Penelope Cruz says beauty is nothing when it comes to her art, to making a character believable and more convincing. As a matter of fact, the star adds, she sees her face as a piece of “clay” that she molds to suit the role she’s playing at a given moment, therefore she simply doesn’t care if she comes across as ugly or not in the final project, as China Daily can confirm.
Speaking with the British media, as cited by China Daily, Cruz reveals that she’s not the one to place too much emphasis on good looks, all the more so when looking pretty is not a part of the character she may be playing at one moment. In her long and successful acting career, Penelope has learned that she has to stop being selfish and just give the part her best, even if that means she has to renounce her famous good looks. Making movies is not about onscreen beauty, the star points out, but about making a character real.
“I am never concerned if I have to look bad. I don’t care if I look good. You do whatever is necessary to give the character what it needs. It’s important not to be selfish. You get used to looking at yourself. I make sure I am a piece of clay and give whatever that character needs inside and outside. I have a physique that can change and transform.” Penelope Cruz explains.
As for the ongoing trend noticeable in most gorgeous actresses who step out to speak of how they used to be the “ugly duckling” while growing up, Penelope shares it’s about time they thought of another story to get the attention of the media. While it’s clear that there’s pressure from the industry for women to always look impeccably good, female stars might as well accept that having “ugly moments” is part of the journey to becoming a woman, and thus see that the “I used to be ugly” story is not really something that out of the ordinary, but rather something that all women experience at one point in their life.
“You always end up reading stories about actresses who say they were the ugly duckling in school. I think we have had enough of these stories. I would probably say the same. We all feel that about ourselves, developing, becoming a woman. But if I read another story about another actress complaining abut the way she looked at school... please not one again!” the star concludes by saying.