Penlope Cruz, Leo and Javier Bardem GSI Penlope Cruz recently took a break from filming Venuto al Mondo in Rome to enjoy a day at the park with her husband , Javier Bardem, and their 9-month-old son , Leonardo. The picnic was a rare family outing for the couple , who have kept Leo out of the public eye until recently. But apparently the tot is already quite the animal lover. Bardem, 42, held Leo as he played with a spunky dog, and brought him over to mounted police officers so he could pet the horses, according to an onlooker. Cruz, 37, later promoted the film at the International Rome Film Festival .

A new mother herself, Penelope Cruz says her current film role as a single mum is one of the most beautiful characters she has ever played. Cruz made a cameo appearance in Rome on Wednesday night on the eve of the Rome Film Festival. She had been in Bosnia recently filming Sergio Castellitto's Venuto Al Mondo about a single woman who brings her teenage son to Sarajevo, where the boy's father died during the 1990s Bosnian conflict. She told reporters being a mother is the strongest experience a woman can have. Cruz and husband actor Javier Bardem became parents of a baby boy in January. Cruz, stunning in a sombre black suit, says every experience in life makes you change and grow.

The actress performs a cheeky dance routine in a scene from Venuto Al Mondo. The filming took place on a boat in Rome. Penelope could start a new career as a Cruz ship entertainer. Uplifting ... Penelope Cruz XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM

Look how Leo's grown! Penelope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem took their 10-month-old son, Leo Encinas, for a traditional Italian pasta lunch Saturday during Cruz's break from filming Venuto Al Mondo in Rome. PHOTOS: More jet setting celeb kids In the just-released snapshots, Cruz gazes lovingly at her boy, who displays a wide smile. In another photo with his dad, baby Leo is seen admiring a patch of red flowers. Giving birth in January 2011, Cruz, 37, has said having her little boy has drastically changed her outlook on life and love. PHOTOS: Adorable snapshots of little Leo "From the first second, you feel so much love," Cruz told Vogue' s June issue. "It is a revolutionary experience. That's the best way I can describe it. It transforms you completely, in a second. Nature is very wise and gives you nine months to prepare, but in that moment, when you see that face, you are transformed forever." PHOTOS: What these stars love about motherhood Cru...

Penelope Cruz returned to Rome to continue filming the Sergio Castellito movie 'Venuto al Mondo' that started production in September on location in Sarajevo and Croatia, Italian media said. The Spanish actress, who was in Rome several weeks ago shooting the Woody Allen film 'Bop Decameron', is staying at a hotel far from the downtown area with her son Leo, sources close to the actress said. The star of ' Vicky Cristina Barcelona ' does not eat out at restaurants and will give no press conferences. The only invitations she accepts are to the filmmaker's home. The movie, inspired by the like-named novel by Margaret Mazzantini , Castellito's wife and one of Italy's most popular writers, tells the story of a mother's trip with her 16-year-old son to the Sarajevo of today, the hometown of his father who was killed while still a young man during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. Co-starring with Cruz is actor Emile Hirsch. The production crew will remain i...

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Is sexy actress Penelope Cruz losing a step with her looks? At least one website seems to think so, showing some pretty hideous recent photos of the star. Is Cruz becoming ugly? MediaTakeOut seems to think that Penelope is starting to look completely hideous. They posted pictures with the following headline: YIKES!! Look How TERRIBLE Actress Penelope Cruz Looks NOWADAYS!!! Yes, that is Cruz, but did anyone take a second and think, perhaps those photos might be from a movie set? It turns out that the teased hair and gosh awful and ill-fitting, 80's outfit is from a scene in an upcoming movie 'Venuto Al Mondo' that is currently being filmed in Italy. It is true that these are not the most flattering photos of Penelope Cruz, but did she actually fall off the 'pretty' bus and suddenly become Medusa? It seems more like a director sabotaged her awesome looks with a miserable costume. The verdict...the photos are horrible, but Cruz...still sexy!