Penélope Cruz is bringing her musical side back to the big screen. Years after combining singing and dancing in Nine, the Oscar-winning actress draws on those talents again in La bola negra, playing a performer whose theatrical confidence required months of preparation behind the scenes.
Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis, the film casts Cruz as Nené Romero, a cuplé singer entertaining soldiers during the Spanish Civil War. The role connects with a passion that predates her acting career.
© JB LacroixSpeaking to Vogue España, Cruz explained that she had danced for 18 years and welcomed opportunities to bring that background to her characters.
Preparing Nené involved months of singing lessons, dance classes and choreography rehearsals. Despite her previous musical experience, she approached the vocal work with considerable respect.
© JB Lacroix“I had only sung in Nine, and I have a lot of respect for it. We worked on it a lot," she told the publication, recalling her earlier experience in the Hollywood musical.
From ‘Nine’ to Nené Romero:
In Rob Marshall’s 2009 film Nine, Cruz played Carla, the lover of filmmaker Guido Contini, portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis. Her number, “A Call from the Vatican,” combined vocals with demanding choreography and rope work.
© Franco OrigliaDuring her recent appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Cruz revisited that experience, recalling approximately four months of preparation.
She also reflected on how the excitement of dancing could temporarily overshadow the physical pain, which became more noticeable once rehearsals ended.
© GROSBYGROUPAn earlier interview offers a vivid glimpse of that effort. Speaking with Film Festival Traveler in 2010, Cruz described lengthy dance rehearsals followed by filming days that left her with bruises and blisters. “But I didn't even feel that much physical pain because I felt like flying!” she said.
La Bola Negra brings her into a different musical world, replacing the Hollywood musical’s setting with the wit and theatrical storytelling of Spanish cuplé.
The preparation behind her new musical performance:
To develop Nené’s performances, Cruz worked with Olga María Ramos, the singer and daughter of celebrated cuplé artist Olga Ramos.
© NetflixIn an interview with Vanity Fair Spain, Ramos recalled rehearsing “Batallón de modistillas” and “Las tardes del Ritz” with the actress. She praised Cruz’s willingness to learn and accept suggestions, emphasizing that the genre’s apparently effortless delivery conceals a demanding craft. Cruz had also studied videos of Ramos and her mother before they began working together.
That preparation extended beyond learning the songs. Cruz explained to the publication that Nené’s confident, cheeky stage presence contrasts with the more intimate energy of her conversation with the character played by Guitarricadelafuente. Moving between those registers was part of the role’s appeal.
© Cindy OrdOn Awards Chatter, she also recalled the scale of performing among so many male extras. The sequence carried an additional personal challenge. A doctor’s warning about a possible brain aneurysm shortly before filming.
After receiving medical reassurance that she could continue singing and dancing, she completed the work, and subsequent tests confirmed that the scare was a false alarm.
© Stephane Cardinale - CorbisFor Cruz, however, Nené’s significance reaches beyond the demands of the performance. She said that the character reflects the guidance and hope she herself found in art as a young person, from classical ballet to music and cinema. Her return to singing and dancing brings that lifelong connection into the heart of La Bola Negra.
