When Penélope Cruz took home her Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2009 for Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” it was the very first trophy awarded that night.
“I remember I sat there and then they said the name, and everything happened so fast,” said the Spanish actress at Charles Finch and Chanel’s annual pre-Oscar dinner, held on the eve of the award ceremony in Los Angeles. “I felt happy that it was that way, because if you have to wait for that for two hours…the state of nerves, you know? It’s such an adrenaline trip.
“But I only remember half of the night, because everything was so intense,” she continued with a laugh. “I always feel, I would like to have the whole night recorded so that I realize everything that happened, because I feel like I only experienced it halfway.”
She’ll attend the show again this year as presenter: “It’s a great celebration of cinema. I’m really happy for Pedro [Almodóvar] and for Antonio [Banderas].” Spanish film “Pain and Glory,” directed by Almodóvar, is nominated for best foreign language film, while Banderas is up for best actor. “I’m just happy to be celebrating my colleagues’ work, to be

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