Mónica Cruz

Mónica Cruz Sánchez (born 16 March 1977) is a Spanish actress and dancer. She is the younger sister of actress Penélope Cruz. She has appeared in the films The Inquiry (2006), Last Hour (2008), Jerry Cotton (2010) and Iron Cross (2011). Mónica Cruz was born in the working-class town of Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, the daughter of Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser, and Eduardo Cruz (d. 2015), a retailer and auto mechanic. Throughout her childhood, she lived in Alcobendas. She is the middle child of three; older sister Penélope is an actress, and younger brother Eduardo (born 1986) is a singer. Her parents divorced in 1999, and her father remarried Carmen Moreno in 2003. Moreno gave birth to a girl, Salma Cruz, on 24 February 2012. Penélope and Mónica distinguished themselves as promising young dancers and both received professional training; Penélope attended Spain's National Conservatory while Mónica enrolled in The Royal Academy of Dance to study traditional ballet and flamenco. Upon graduating from the academy, Cruz joined Joaquín Cortés' flamenco dance company. She stayed with the company for seven years until, in 2002, she left dancing to pursue a career in acting. In 2005, she starred in the Spanish television show Un Paso Adelante alongside Beatriz Luengo, Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Pablo Puyol and Silvia Marty. She portrayed Tabitha in the historical drama film The Inquiry (2006). Cruz landed the role of Detective Rosa Mulero in the crime drama film Last Hour (2008) alongside DMX and Paul Sorvino. She also appeared in films Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008), All Inclusive (2008), Jerry Cotton (2010) and Iron Cross (2011).