Penélope Cruz: Almod?var call was life-changing

Penélope Cruz says speaking to Pedro Almod?var for the first time was the best moment of her career.
The 37-year-old Oscar-winner decided she wanted to become an actress after watching the director’s movie Tie Me Up!Tie Me Down!. Penélope was a huge fan of the filmmaker and set her heart on working with him. After landing an agent and some acting roles, the beauty caught Pedro’s attention and he offered her a job – much to her delight.
'I was in the bathroom, in my parents’ house and I heard the words, ‘Almod?var is on the phone.’ Nothing, no-thing has topped that phone call yet in terms of work, in terms of excitement,' she revealed in an interview with GQ. 'That phone call was life-changing. And I didn’t believe it was him – of course. I had been dreaming about that specific moment for so, so long and then I heard the words, ‘Almod?var is on the phone.’ It was too perfect to be true. He wanted me to audition for a part.'
Penélope went on to confess she had done everything possible to secure a meeting with Pedro. The pair lived near each other in Spain and she soon discovered where he spent his spare time and visited those locations as often as she could.
'I used to go to bars where I knew he went. Or the cinema where he went to watch films. I saw him many times – from a distance – but I was always too shy to talk to him,' she explained. 'I told him I had been following him around town. Maybe he noticed; it didn’t matter. I was his.
'We had such a strong connection. Being with Almod?var is like being in Disneyland for an actress. He’s provocative. He keeps you on your toes.'