Penelope Cruz bravely shaved her head for her role in Spanish film "Ma Ma." The actress also agreed to go topless as she portrayed the character of a woman battling breast cancer.

Cruz was completely unrecognizable in the movie, which she also produced. Mail Online shared some of the screen captures taken from "Ma Ma." One shot showed the 41-yea-old midway through shaving her head. Another screen cap showed Cruz smiling at the mirror as she touched her completely bald head. The actress was also topless in the scene.

In one scene taken from "Ma Ma," Cruz got into character and covered her bald head with a white wrap. She also placed white bandages around her chest and on one breast.

Cruz plays the role of Magda, an unemployed teacher from Madrid. At first, Magda struggles to accept that she has cancer and that she needs to have a mastectomy for the lump in her breast. However, she soon learns to conquer her fears and faces her diagnosis with courage and optimism.

"Ma Ma" already opened in Spain last year in September. It's expected to be released worldwide but no specific date has been announced yet.

In last year's interview with Variety, Cruz admitted that she instantly fell in love with the character of Magda. She didn't think about her beauty or being glamorous when she learned that she had to shave her head for the role.

"A few months ago, Julio gave me the script over lunch. I read it that night and was just bowled over. It's one of the most complex, most beautiful characters I've ever been offered, the most difficult," she said.

Cruz previously said that she wanted to portray the character as realistic as possible. She wanted to make her physical look authentic so she agreed to shave her head.

"That's acting: the beauty of risk, facing up to the unknown, placing yourself in the skin of someone you invite into your life for a time, someone who isn't you," she told Variety.

In the same interview with Variety, Cruz revealed why she decided to produce "Ma Ma." It reportedly came with her desire to be a director in the future and not just be an actress. For now, she said that she's taking small steps towards her dream, starting with learning things from the production side.