Penélope Cruz stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday, January 6 to talk all about how she spent her New Year’s Eve, discussing the Spanish tradition involving grapes that has her stressed over her kids.

In addition to her life currently, Cruz also talked about her early career, including how her longtime friend Salma Hayek took her under her wing when she first arrived in Hollywood.

“When I [went] to L.A. the first time we didn’t know each other, only on the phone,” the actress says. She goes on to explain how she had a return ticket to make a movie the first time she visited, and was only planning to be there for two months.

“I didn’t know anyone here and she picked me up from the airport and she said, ‘You’re not going to the hotel, you’re coming to my house because this is hard at the beginning and you’re going to feel very lonely,’” Penélope revealed. “So she took me to her house. That’s why now we’re like sisters.”

She continued, “I ended up also sleeping in her room because I was scared. On top of that in the middle of the night she says that I was holding her hand because I was afraid. I don’t know, I was dreaming.”

“It was amazing that somebody I really didn’t know… She told me, ‘Whether you want to or not, you don’t know me but you’re coming to my house,’” Cruz gushed. “From Day 1 she’s been like that with me.”

Now, these two are just as close, which includes Penélope loving everything that comes with Hayek--including her pet owl, Kering.

“Yes, of course. I love the owl,” she said when asked if she’s met the unexpected creature. “When she told me she had one I was blown away because when I was little my grandmother had a neighbour who had an owl and I was really scared, but always wanted to go and see her.”

She continued, “[Salma] invites us to feed the owl with these little rats.”