Penélope Cruz.
At the 2024 SAG Awards, Penélope Cruz revealed who her favorite actress of all time is – the legendary Meryl Streep. In interviews on the red carpet, the Spanish star couldn’t help but rave about Meryl Streep’s kindness, patience, and talent.
Longtime Admiration
Cruz shared that whenever she sees Streep at events, she makes a beeline to hug her. “She’s always so sweet and so kind,” Cruz gushed. She reiterated that Streep is hands-down “my favorite actress of all time.”
This admiration is nothing new for Cruz. In a past interview with Deadline, she admitted to begging her agents to get her on one of Streep’s sets, even if just to bring the veteran performer coffee.
Streep’s Patience and Grace
According to Cruz, Meryl Streep handles her profuse fandom with patience and grace. “Every time I see her, I run to hug her. And she’s so patient because every time I act like this is the first time I do it,” Cruz revealed with a laugh.
Despite Cruz’s over-the-top reactions whenever they meet, Streep never fails to be kind. This only seems to endear Cruz to her acting idol even more.
Hoping to Work Together One Day
Cruz went on to say she was shocked and elated when Streep mentioned her by name at the 2024 Academy Museum Gala. “It was like she knows that I exist, you know?” Cruz recounted.
For the Pirates of the Caribbean actress, hearing Streep acknowledge her existence gives her hope that the two could collaborate down the line. As Cruz enthusiastically put it: “She is my number one, number one hero and would love to work with her.”
Longtime Mutual Admiration
Meryl Streep has also voiced her admiration for Penélope Cruz’s immense talent over the years. When Cruz won an Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Streep was one of the first to celebrate her historic win for Spanish actresses.
Despite their industry status, it’s clear these two Oscar winners still look up to each other as fans and friends. Cruz will likely continue seizing any chance to embrace her lifelong acting idol Streep at Hollywood events. And if we’re lucky, movie magic will bring them together onscreen one day.