Cruz admits taking Oscar to the beach

NEW YORK, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Spanish actress Penelope Cruz admits she was so thrilled she won an Oscar earlier this year that she took it everywhere -- even to the beach.

Cruz picked up the prize for her memorable role in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

"I have (my Oscar) in my house in Spain and I still haven't found the right place for it. But for the first month when I won I was so excited about it, I took it everywhere with me. I took it -- this is true -- I even took it to the beach one day and put it under a towel," she told reporters in New York recently, while promoting her upcoming movie musical "Nine."

Cruz co-stars in "Nine" with her fellow Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench and Nicole Kidman. The big-screen adaptation of the stage musical was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall.