​Penelope Cruz is Esquire's sexiest woman alive

Penelope Cruz is Esquire's "sexiest woman alive."

Cruz is the 11th woman to be given the title by the magazine. Previous honorees include Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson.

The "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "Vanilla Sky" actress tells Esquire that she had "an attraction to drama" in her teens and 20s but "could not be less interested now."

"I've played a lot of tricks on myself. I've made it hard for me sometimes, especially in my teens and twenties," she said. "I had an attraction to drama. Most of us have that, especially if you are an artist-- you feel like you are tempted to explore the darkness. I could not be less interested now. For me, the most attractive, charming, cool, fun, interesting thing--how could I call it? A plan."

Cruz is keeping quiet about her personal life. She declined to comment to the magazine about her actor-husband, Javier Bardem, as well as their two children. She says, "That is for us."

The actress will next be seen in the Spanish-language film "Ma Ma" and in "Grimsby" with Sacha Baron Cohen.

Her other film credits include "Blow," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and "Sex and the City 2."

The November issue of Esquire will be on newsstands Oct. 21.

Tell us: Do you agree with Esquire's pick?