'Control freak' Penelope Cruz

Jul 21, 2007, 13:00 GMT

Penelope Cruz - - Hollywood, CA © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

Penelope Cruz says people think she is a "control freak".

The 'Volver' actress - who grew up in a working class Madrid suburb - admits she is a "perfectionist" because her parents always urged her to succeed, but doesn't think she has a problem.

Penelope said: "I've always been a perfectionist, to the point where some people can misinterpret that as being a control freak.

"I put more time and energy into something because I want it to be as good as possible. My sister Monica is the same. We are very hard workers. That's how we grew up. My parents taught us that you earn every day that you get. They didn't have a lot of money and they had to work really hard to raise us. So I feel that every opportunity I get, I want to give it 100 per cent."

The 33-year-old, who wore a prosthetic butt for her role in 'Volver', doesn't mind altering her body to be taken seriously as an actress.

Penelope said: "I've been lucky to play so many different roles. In the Italian movie 'Don't Move', I had to be totally deformed. People make a big deal out of that, saying 'How come you weren't scared?' And I said, 'Because that's how my character looks.'

"I'm there to serve my character, not my ego."

(C) BANG Media International