Penélope Cruz remains one of the greatest thespians of the last quarter‑century. Now the elusive, masterful character actor sits with Extra alongside co‑star Peter Sarsgaard to dive into all things “The Bride!” — Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bold, genre‑bending new vision.
In the upcoming project, Penélope portrays Myrna Mallow, a sharp, determined detective fighting for credit and acknowledgment in a man’s world. She shared how deeply it moved her that Maggie Gyllenhaal personally chose her for a role that isn’t the “obvious” casting choice — and how meaningful that validation felt.
Penélope explained that Maggie wanted something from her she’d never done before, calling it “a blessing” to work with a director who sees beyond type and embraces complexity. She spoke about how powerful it was to play a woman in the 1930s who rises to lead a mission despite being dismissed for both her gender and her accent — a reality she knows well from her early years working in English‑language films.
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She reflected on how slowly Hollywood has evolved in its acceptance of accents, noting that only in the last few years has she seen real, meaningful change. Maggie’s decision to cast her as Myrna felt, to Penélope, like a reflection of the world as it truly is — and always was.
Peter Sarsgaard added that his character, Detective Wales, is a decent but disenchanted man who contrasts sharply with Myrna’s drive and courage. He described himself as “complacency” next to her fire, admiring how her character pushes against the system while he simply endures it.
Penélope also shared how special it was to have her family with her during filming, something she only does when a role is absolutely worth the time away. This one was.
Both actors praised Maggie Gyllenhaal’s vision, calling her talent “inevitable” and her filmmaking instinct deeply visual and intuitive. Penélope spoke about falling in love with the film’s “monsters,” Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, and how her character shifts from wanting to catch them to wanting to save them.
When asked what she hopes audiences take away, Penélope said the film is about change — painful, necessary, and only possible by going straight through it. The honesty between the characters, she said, is ultimately what saves them.
Tell us below what you think of Penélope Cruz stepping into this powerful new role in
