Penelope Cruz has admitted that she “did not handle” the nude scenes in her first film well.

The Oscar winner said that she was “inspired” to overcome early struggles by her mother Encarna, a fierce supporter of her acting career.

“I did not handle it at all well,” she wrote in The Sun. “I had a strong reaction to anything sexual or sensual for a while. I cut my hair short. I didn’t do any love scenes – not even kisses – for many years.

“I was told by everyone, ‘You are risking your career’, but I followed my heart. My mother was at ease with what I had done and inspired me to go on to do other things.”

Cruz, who gave birth to her first child with husband Javier Bardem in January 2010, also credited her parents for the fighting spirit that propelled her to success.

“I was a fighter as a kid and even if all these people were telling me it is impossible [to become an actress], I would try,” she said. “I was very strong about what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to do things outside the experience of my family.

“With the way my life keeps changing, I have learned to value everything I have – and thank my mother and father Eduardo for that.”

Cruz previously described becoming a mother to young Leo as the “most beautiful feeling”.

source: digitalspy.co.uk