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How can receiving a prestigious lifetime achievement award get any better? If that award is presented to you by one of your best friends. Penélope Cruz was surprised in this way while being honored with the Donostia Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival. The 45-year-old A-lister was presented the accolade by her rockstar pal Bono on Friday, September 27 at Kursaal in Spain. "What a night!!" she exclaimed. "Thank you @sansebastianfes for this incredible honor and thank you my dear friend #bono for such a unforgettable surprise!!"
Bono gave Penélope all the feels when he surprised her onstage. As the U2 frontman sweetly spoke about his dear friend, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Not every actor has as fascinating story off-screen as on," he said. "Penélope, her life is fascinating to me onscreen, because it’s all about the drama of the family, and the extended family of which I’m blessed to be part of. Performers like us, like me, we get lost in ourself; Penélope, she gets lost in everyone else, and that’s why we get lost in you."
Penélope rang true to his sentiment as she accepted the award, making her speech about "everyone else." She confessed to the crowd that she has fulfilled two of her childhood dreams: being a mom and an actress. The Spanish star then dedicated what’s been dubbed the festival’s highest honor to her parents, children and husband, Javier Bardem, as well as three directors she’s loved working with: Pedro Almodóvar, Bigas Luna and Fernando Trueba.
In conclusion, the star boiled down to an issue bigger than herself, speaking out against domestic violence. "So far this year 44 women have been murdered by gender-based violence in our country [Spain] and since 2003 more than a thousand," she said. "How many women are being murdered around the world?”
"I hope that when a woman finds the superhuman strength she needs to tell what she is going through in such a situation," she added, "she will be heard at first and not when it is too late." The leading lady is the youngest actress to win the Donostia prize, which recognizes the career and contribution of great figures to cinema