Penélope Cruz Turns 50: Inside Her Life in Spain with Javier Bardem and Their 2 Kids (Exclusive Source)

The Oscar-winning actress hits her milestone birthday on April 28

Happy birthday, Penélope Cruz!

The Oscar-winning actress, who turned 50 on April 28, has been one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actresses for years, starring in blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, foreign films like Volver and ad campaigns for Chanel.

But when she’s not working, she enjoys a quiet life in her native Spain with her husband of 14 years, actor Javier Bardem, 55, and their two children, Leo, 13, and Luna, 10.

“Penelope Cruz is one of the loveliest Hollywood stars with lots of talent,” an entertainment executive source tells PEOPLE. “She is grounded, successful and knows who she is. She is happily married and loves being in a family unit. She is happy living out of the spotlight.”

The source says Cruz has no qualms about turning 50. “She is fulfilled, in a solid marriage, and has a happy life,” they say. “Penelope is fine with turning 50 and believes the early years of working all of the time paid off but are behind her. Now she can pick and choose. And she is quite content with how everything has turned out for her.”

Related: Penélope Cruz Isn’t Worried About Aging as She Gears Up for Her 50th Birthday: 'It’s a Huge, Beautiful Thing'

A Spanish style source tells PEOPLE that Cruz is “mature, beautiful and poised," noting, “When you have made many of the right choices in your life, turning 50 is a gift not a dreaded day."

“She has a lot to be proud of and thankful for in her life. She is an award-winning actress, a true beauty, and a female who likes to laugh and have fun," the source adds. "She is the real deal.”

Another film industry source details that Cruz is happier living away from the bustle of Hollywood and that has been good for her marriage and motherhood.

“She is looking forward to the next part of her life, which will find her doing what she wants when she wants and feeling happy doing it,” the source says.

Cruz remains private and doesn’t often discuss her children in interviews. "It’s for them to decide if they are going to have a job that is more exposed to the public or not. They can talk about that when they’re ready," she explained Elle in January.

But she has, at times, opened up about her life with her family of four outside of the spotlight around the Spanish capital.

“I am indeed 100% from Madrid. I was born here, and I grew up here. I love Madrid,” she has said.

In a recent conversation she had with her friend, manager Guy Oseary, for Dust magazine, Cruz discussed her decision to make Spain her home base and always put her loved ones before her work.

“My life’s priority has always been my family. Having that focal point has probably given me the strength to choose projects on my own terms,” she said.

Not that it’s come without some hand-wringing. “How can I be the one to say no, with all the insecurities that come with this profession?” she wondered, ultimately deciding that she gets to “follow my own path.”

The Ferrari actress and Bardem, who won an Oscar himself for his role in No Country for Old Men, have tried to shield their children from cell phones, social media and all the hoopla surrounding Hollywood.

"They know that we do movies, but I don't think they know what that means or what is that all about," he told PEOPLE in 2017. "It's fine. We don't have anything in our house that reminds them that we are actors. We really don't care about that."

A-list visitors might tip off Leo and Luna that their parents are also a big deal. In her conversation with Oseary for Dust, Cruz recalled a dinner they had at Restaurante Araceli with her longtime friend and collaborator Pedro Almodóvar and Madonna, with whom Oseary works.

On nights spent at home, Cruz likes to have friends over to play Werewolf, a social game not that different from the TV series Traitors. “You have to lie, manipulate, betray,” Cruz told PEOPLE in 2022. “In Madrid I also have groups of people that play.  It's the best game, and it's a great game for actors.”

Related: Penélope Cruz Admits She Fangirls over Meryl Streep at Awards Shows: 'My Favorite Actress' (Exclusive)

"You have to convince [other players] that you are a villager instead of a wolf, and that you're not going to kill in the middle of the night,” she continued.

A fair word of warning to anyone who wants to go toe-to-toe with Cruz: “I play like my life depends on it,” she said.

But It may be a minute before Cruz can host another game night at home in Europe. She’s attached to the upcoming Frankenstein-themed movie The Bride, which has been filming in Staten Island, New York.

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