Penélope Cruz wins honorary César for lifetime achievement

The serial 'Almodóvar Girl', who earned international fame in the noughties with her roles in Vanilla Sky, All the Pretty Horses, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Blow, was thrilled and stunned to be called to pick up her prize at the French national film award ceremony, which is now in its 42^nd year.

“I was very surprised that they wanted to give it to me,” the Madrid-born actress (pictured centre) confessed.

“At such special moments as this, I always end up thinking about the people who have been with me from the start of it all, who have supported me.”

These people include her parents: “They didn't laugh when their 12-year-old brat announced she wanted to be an actress, even though there was nobody in the family who was in any way involved in the arts.”

Braving the freezing and wet weather in Paris in a strapless, floor-length purple dress to attend what is officially known as the César Awards, but often referred to in English as the 'Caesars', at the Pleyel auditorium near the Arc de Triomphe, Penélope accepted the organisers' request that everyone wear a white ribbon in protest over sexual harassment and abuse in the industry.

“They did it at the Golden Globes, the Goya, and I'm sure they'll do it this Sunday at the Oscars,” Penélope explained.

“It's crucial we remember what's been happening and what's been coming to light, and let's hope it serves as a ray of light for women in other professions who don't have a microphone right in front of them like we do.

“All this doesn't just happen in our industry.”

The star was accompanied by her lifelong friend and favourite 'boss', cult film director Pedro Almodóvar (first picture, right), plus her brother Agustín and her husband, Skyfall Bond villain Javier Bardem (first picture, left), at a ceremony which started with a homage to twice-honorary César winner Jeanne Moreau who died last year aged 89.

Too young for a 'lifetime achievement' award?

Penélope told reporters she was amazed to be considered deserving of a 'lifetime' prize at such a young age.

She will be 44 this year, one of the youngest honorary César winners by about 20 to 30 years on average.

“I don't understand it at all, but I'm just going to enjoy it and be grateful,” Cruz admits.

Most women granted the award have been at least in their 60s - Ingrid Bergman was 61 when she earned her honorary César in 1976 and Bernadette Lafont was 65, Marlène Jobert and Jeanne Moreau were 67, Danielle Darrieux was 68, and Anouk Aimée was 69.

Actresses and female directors have often also earned 'lifetime achievement' Césars in their 70s and 80s – such as Michèle Morgan and Lauren Bacall (72), Agnès Varda (73), Bette Davis (78), and Micheline Presle, the eldest at 82; in fact, Jeanne Moreau won it a second time when she was 80, a year before her picture here (right, from Wikimedia Commons) was taken.

Four ladies were given an honorary César in their 50s - Sophia Loren (57), Meryl Streep (54), Charlotte Rampling (55) and Josiane Balasko (50).

But Cruz is by no means the youngest female yet to win an honorary César - Romy Schneider was posthumously given the award in the year she would have been 70, although she was exactly Penélope's age when she died; Andie MacDowell was just 39, Kate Winslet was aged 37 and Diana Ross 32.

So far, the youngest woman to be granted the award was Scarlett Johanssen in 2014, when she was only 29.