Penélope Cruz has revealed that she and actor Ben Stiller found common ground during the filming of the 2016 comedy "Zoolander 2" due to experiencing the loss of a parent. Cruz, 52, was on a night shoot for the film when her father died unexpectedly from a heart attack in the early morning hours.
"He died at two in the morning. Really young, a heart attack out of the blue. I remember being so close to passing out from the shock," Cruz recounted in an interview with PORTER. "On Monday morning, I had to be on set again, trying to make people laugh, shooting a comedy."
She noted that Stiller had experienced a similar loss two weeks prior when his mother passed away. "The film couldn't stop for him, or for me. Every time I see Ben, I think, 'Wow, what we went through,'" Cruz shared.
Personal Health and Advocacy
In addition to discussing the "Zoolander 2" experience, Cruz also touched upon a recent personal health scare. She revealed that her doctor had informed her of a suspected aneurysm, though it ultimately proved to be a false alarm. "I have had many scares like that. Fortunately, I'm fine, it was a false alarm, but I worry about staying healthy, taking care of myself," she stated. Cruz emphasized her healthy lifestyle, mentioning she does not drink or smoke and avoids excessive partying, asserting, "Without health, we have nothing."
Cruz has been vocal about her concerns regarding women's healthcare, expressing frustration at the perceived lack of progress and investment in research for illnesses affecting only women. "It's shocking that, over decades, we've stuck to the same information about how women's bodies work," she said. "Look at funding for investigation into any illness that affects only women. We don't get even half the investment. It is a level of control or suppression."
Motherhood and Modern Challenges
Conversations also turned to motherhood, with Cruz reflecting on her parenting style with husband Javier Bardem. The couple, married since 2010, are parents to son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 12. Cruz aims to foster an open environment at home, wanting her children to feel comfortable asking questions and sharing without judgment, a dynamic she experienced with her own parents.
She also shared her anxieties about the online world and its impact on teenagers. "It is so difficult to be a teenager right now," she observed. "What the boys are being fed, what they are being tricked into thinking. It is a type of manipulation that confuses even adults. With teenagers or children, it is a very dangerous weapon."
Cruz recalled her own challenging adolescence and expressed concern about the influence of social media on young people today, questioning what her own experience might have been like with a phone and social media during her formative years. Cruz is currently promoting her film "The Invite," in which she stars alongside Edward Norton as one of a couple's enigmatic upstairs neighbors.
