Recently married couple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are the perfect match, they share a culture and just the right balance of similarities and differences. Penelope is 5 years younger than Javier and he was brought up in a family of actors, producers and film makers, while Penelope's mother was a hairdresser. Penelope is involved in the fashion and beauty industry as well as acting and Javier seems a little more down to earth, but the attraction is obvious.

They are beauty and the beast, but I use the word beast in the best possible way – macho, sexy and with a gentle heart! The married couple are both excellent actors and their fans seem to be happy with their decision to wed. Although very individual here are a few things the married couple have in common.

1.Both Penelope and Javier are Spanish, and so both speak Spanish and share the Spanish culture.

2.Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are Academy Award winners. Penelope won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Javier won Best Supporting Actor for his role in No Country for Old Men.

3.Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem were the first male and female Spanish actor and actress to win a Best Supporting Actor/Actress Academy Award.

4.Penelope Cruz acted in Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise and hubbie Javier appeared in Collateral with Tom Cruise, but only Penelope had a three year relationship with Tom.

5.Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem appeared together in the film Jamon Jamon and again in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

6.Javier and Penelope began their careers on Spanish television.

7.Both started acting at relatively young ages, Javier was six and Penelope was 16.

8.Both Penelope and Javier were raised Roman Catholic but Javier, at least, is not a supporter of the church, having famously said that if he was gay he would get married just to f**k the church.

9.Both Penelope and Javier have two siblings, a brother and sister. Penelope is the oldest and Javier is the youngest of his siblings. Both Penelope and Javier's siblings are in the entertainment industry.

10.Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have both won Goya Awards, Penelope won the Goya Award for Best Actress in Jamon Jamon, The Girl of Your Dreams and Volver as well as Best Supporting Actress in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Javier won the Goya Best Actor Award for Jamon Jamon, Huevos de Oro, Mouth to Mouth, Carne Tremula, Mondays in the Sun and The Sea Inside. He also won the Goya Best Supporting Actor for Running Out of Time.

12.Both Penelope and Javier started out pursuing other artistic fields, Penelope's initial aspirations were to be a dancer and Javier an artist.

The newly-weds Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem dated for three years before marrying and now they share more things in common, their surname, address, profession and soon children.