FACTBOX: Five facts about Penelope Cruz

(Reuters) - Following are five key facts about Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, 34, who won a best supporting actress Oscar on Sunday for her role as a fiery artist in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

-- Cruz was born in Madrid on April 28, 1974 and landed several roles on Spanish TV shows and music videos by the time she was around 15.

-- Cruz joins fellow actresses Dianne Wiest and Mira Sorvino in scoring best supporting-actress Oscars for their performances in Woody Allen films.

-- Cruz was previously nominated for a best actress Oscar for her role in the 2006 film "Volver" and picked up a BAFTA and several other awards for her turn in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" in the runup to the Academy Awards.

-- Cruz struggled for years to convince English-speaking movie audiences to take her seriously after critics panned her performances in films like "Woman on Top," and was perhaps better-known for high-profile romances with stars like Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey.

(Reporting by Sue Zeidler; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)