We know them separately and we know them together. The most important thing is that we know exactly WHO actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are, thanks to their magnificent work in the international film industry.

We remember her from movies such as Woman on Top, All The Pretty Horses, and Vanilla Sky and we remember him from No Country For Old Men, Skyfall, and The Sea Inside. While they’re both beautiful and interesting in their own right, they’re even more amazing together.

The couple married back in 2010 and have two children (Leo and Luna) that they are wisely raising out of the public eye. While they’re private people, they do sometimes enjoy talking about their love. This love is obvious whenever you see them on the red carpet together.

Here are 15 sweet facts about the wonderful couple.

15 They First Met Many Years Before They Even Started Dating

Even though they fell in love on the set of Woody Allen’s movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the couple goes way back in terms of their first meeting. They set eyes on each for the first time back in 1992, on the set of a movie called, Jamon Jamon. Perhaps nothing happened then because of youth. They didn’t actually start dating until 12 years later.

14 He Was Intimidated By Her At First

Penelope often is drawn to characters who are very emotional and enjoy wearing their hearts on their sleeves, much like she does in real life. Bardem, at first, was taken aback by that. “She has that feistiness,” he said. “There are those scenes where we are arguing, she’s throwing plates and so on. I had to wonder, ‘Do I really want this?’”

Related: 20 Movie Couples Who Fell In Love On Set

13 Down To Earth

The Penelope/Javier alliance isn’t like your average, everyday Hollywood celeb marriage. You’ll come to find out that you won’t really hear too much about them in terms of social media. When they do post, it’s usually about a project they’re working on, (either apart or together) but never really about their personal lives.

12 Equal Pay For All

While filming the movie, Everybody Knows, which aired at the Cannes Film Festival, Penelope revealed that the couple received EQUAL pay for their roles in the film. Everyone knows that so many people are currently fighting for equal pay, especially in the film industry, so it was a breath of fresh air to hear this news.

11 Refusing To Sell Out Their Privacy

The couple likes normalcy and they revel in their down-to-earth lifestyle with their two children, Luna and Leo. Their children’s own privacy often comes BEFORE the couple’s. “You will never see a picture of my kids on Instagram,” Penelope said. “I will never do that – I feel like I am responsible for protecting their privacy.”

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10 Movie Making Is A Family Affair

While they have starred in several films together, this gorgeous married couple doesn’t necessarily go and LOOK for parts together. If the opportunity arises, they both agree to work together, as long as the parts are right for them and suit their respective skillsets.

9 Penelope No Longer Draws From Real Life For Film Roles

In Everybody Knows, Penelope plays a mother whose teenage daughter is kidnapped when she returns to her Spanish hometown for a family wedding. Even though she was playing a mother like herself, Cruz didn’t draw inspiration from her own life in order to play the character. Mainly because the character suffers a great deal throughout the movie.

8 They Seriously Depend On Each Other's Opinions

The couple has learned to separate their work from their personal lives, which is why it’s easy for them to go from the film set to home, even when working together. “The fact that [Bardem and I] lean on each other and trust each other so much really helps,” Cruz says. They rely heavily on one another and this really shows how much they love each other.

7 Disneyland Adventures With The Kiddos

Even though they’re very overprotective about their children’s privacy, both Penelope and Javier enjoy doing things with their children, just like non-famous parents do. For example, they were spotted taking Luna and Leo to a Disney theme park. Of course, any pictures that the press takes of the kids must be blurred.

Related: 15 Things 50 Cent Keeps On The DL About His Kids

6 Going All Out

Whenever we see both Cruz and Bardem off of the set, it’s usually on the red carpet. And when we do see them, they’re usually all glammed up. They look like the ultimate Hollywood couple. They always look so very much in love and speak to each other as if sharing some particularly saucy secrets.

5 Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Both actors met again on the set of Vicky Cristina Barcelona - this is when they fell in love with each other. Javier plays a Spanish artist who, while attempting to woe two American women, is still in love with his emotionally unstable ex-wife, played by Penelope. Like we said before, Bardem was both attracted to and afraid of Penelope’s passion, which was reflected in her character.

4 Even In Public, They Lean On Each Other

Even though they are a very private couple, they aren’t afraid to show affection when on red carpets at their movie premieres. They’re hardly ever photographed apart from each other and seem to just gravitate toward each other when they do need to be apart. It’s very beautiful to see.

3 Best Friends First

Even those around them have made keen observations about their love for each other, including Asghar Farhadi, who directed Everybody Knows. “I was full of admiration to see the way Penelope and Javier managed to have very clear limits between fiction and reality, life and work,” he said. “They are the very symbol of a happy couple, a loving couple.”

2 ...Even During The Hard Times

Yes, they are loving even when they seem to be going through hard times - they always seem to come out of problems stronger than ever. They’re able to joke with each other – for example, during the premiere of Everybody Knows at Cannes, Bardem stepped on the train of his wife’s gown on the red carpet and both found it extremely hilarious.

1 Everlasting Love

It’s clear to see that a romantic marriage as stable as that of Penelope and Javier will last a long time and outlive all those fleeting romances. They are going strong thanks to a combination of privacy, talent, and laughter. It also helps that the two are able to work together AND go home to one another, as well. That takes some serious love there.

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