PÉNELOPE CRUZ (Consuela): Academy Award® nominee Penelope Cruz has proven herself to be one of the most versatile, young actresses by playing a variety of compelling characters, and most recently becoming the first actress from Spain to be nominated for an Academy Award. First introduced to American audiences in the Spanish films Jamon, Jamon and Belle Epoque, in 1998 she starred in her first English language film, The Hi-Lo Country for director Stephen Frears opposite Woody Harrelson, Patricia Arquette and Billy Crudup. In 1999, Cruz won the Best Actress award at the 13th Annual Goya Awards given by the Spanish Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for her role in Fernando Trueba's The Girl of Your Dreams.
BEN KINGSLEY (David Kepesh): An acclaimed actor and filmmaker with an iconic and distinctly American voice, Dennis Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas and grew up in San Diego, California. Following stage performances at the Old Globe Theatre and the La Jolla Playhouse as well as early television appearances, Hopper made a lasting, national impression with his performance in Nicholas Ray's classic Rebel Without a Cause, opposite James Dean and Natalie Wood. He quickly followed this with equally revelatory performances in George Stevens' epic Giant and John Sturges' Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He expanded his range and career after relocating to New York City where he studied with one of the giants of the craft, Lee Strasberg; while in New York, Hopper starred in a myriad of television shows, including The Rifleman, Naked City, The Defenders, The Twilight Zone andWagonTrain.
PATRICIA CLARKSON (Carolyn): The roles that Academy Award® nominated actress Patricia Clarkson plays are as varied as the platform on which she plays them. Her comfort in taking on roles from motion pictures, television and the theatre has earned her great accolades and success, and has become one of today's most respected actresses in the entertainment industry. Clarkson recently wrapped production on several films including Stanley Tucci's Blind Date in Belgium, and Daniel Barnz's directorial debut Phoebe in Wonderland, both of which are premiering at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She has also completed filming Woody Allen's Untitled Spanish Project in Barcelona opposite Scarlett Johanson and Javier Bardem.
PETER SARSGAARD (Dr. Kenny Kepesh) : An actor noted for his range and ability to access what is behind the often complicated facades of the characters he plays, Peter Sarsgaard continues to add to his burgeoning reputation. Sarsgaard appeared in the Paramount Vantage film Year of the Dog co-starring Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly and Laura Dern and directed by Mike White. He recently completed In The Electric Mist, starring opposite Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman, directed by Bertrand Tavernier and based on the James Lee Burke novel. Sarsgaard previously finished shooting the New Line film Rendition, directed by Gavin Hood, the film stars Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal and completed production on The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Sienna Miller, Nick Nolte and Jon Foster also star.
DEBORAH HARRY (Amy O'Hearn): With one of the most unmistakable voices in music, the lead singer for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Blondie, set the mold, incorporating everything she learned from culture pioneers like Andy Warhol, Giorgio Moroder and Fab Five Freddy into her fashion, look and, particularly, sound. With Blondie, she and Chris Stein brought the worlds of disco and rock together with "Heart of Glass" and "Call Me" and broke ground by combining hip-hop and pop on "Rapture." As a solo artist, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards co-produced her first release Koo Koo in 1981. She continues to defy expectations with such genre-busting efforts as "French Kissing in the U.S.A.," "Rush Rush," "Rain" and "The Jam Was Moving."
ISABEL COIXET (Director): Spain's Isabel Coixet started making films when she received an 8mm camera for her first communion. After studying 18th- and 19th-century history at the University of Barcelona, she made a living in advertising and copywriting. This led to making award-winning commercials and eventually to founding her own production company, Miss Wasabi Films. In 1988, Coixet made her debut as a writer/director with Demasiado Viejo Para Morir Joven (Too Old To Die Young), earning her a Goya nomination for Best New Director.
