Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born
August 10,
1960) in
Malaga,
Spain, better known as
Antonio Banderas, is a
Spanish film actor. He is usually cited as the most prominent Spanish actor in America.
Early life
Banderas was born in
Málaga,
Andalucía,
Spain to José Domínguez, a policeman in the civil guard, and Doña Ana Bandera, a teacher. He has a brother, Francisco. Banderas is
Roman Catholic. [
1]
Banderas initially wanted to play soccer professionally, but his dream ended when he broke his foot at age 14. As a young man, he travelled penniless to
Madrid, in order to make a career in the Spanish film industry.
Career
Banderas first gained wide attention through a series of films by
director Pedro Almodóvar, between 1982 and 1990, in which his characters often engaged in sex scenes considered extremely
explicit by
American standards. His breakthrough role was as the character "Ricky" in
¡Átame! (English-language title:
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!), which was a minor success in the
United States. He subsequently moved to the U.S. and began appearing in American films; some of his earlier roles there included the
1992 film,
The Mambo Kings, as well as a supporting role in the
Oscar-winning
1993 film,
Philadelphia. He appeared in several major
Hollywood releases in
1995, including a starring role in the
Robert Rodriguez-directed film,
Desperado.
For the majority of the
1990s and
2000s, Banderas remained in the
United States and has starred in several notable
box office successes, including playing the narrator, Che, based on the controversial Argentine physician and politician
Che Guevara in the hit
1996 film
Evita, opposite
Madonna, also playing the title role in the
The Mask of Zorro (
1998) and
The Legend of Zorro (
2005). Banderas has also frequently collaborated with his
Desperado director, Rodriguez, who cast Banderas in the
Spy Kids film trilogy and the final installment in the "Mariachi" trilogy,
Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Banderas' sole credit as a director was the poorly-received
Crazy in Alabama (
1999), starring his wife
Melanie Griffith. Melanie played Lucille Vinson in the movie.
In 2003, Banderas appeared, to great acclaim, in the
Broadway revival of
Maury Yeston's musical
Nine, based on the film
8 1/2, playing the prime role originated by the late
Raul Julia. Banderas won both the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards, and was nominated for the
Tony Award for best actor in a musical.
His performance is preserved on the Broadway cast recording released by
PS Classics.
Banderas' voice role as
Puss in Boots in
Shrek 2 made the character popular on the family film circuit, and a spin-off movie starring his character is scheduled for release in
2008. His latest film,
Take the Lead, a high-school movie in which he plays a real-life
ballroom dancing teacher, opened on
April 7,
2006.
Banderas' upcoming projects include starring as the title character in a new Broadway production of the 1995 film,
Don Juan DeMarco,
as well as in the films
Conquistador, a historical epic in which he will play Spanish explorer
Hernan Cortes (filming will begin in September 2006 in
Spain,
Mexico and
South America),
and
Shrek 3 (currently scheduled for a 2007 release), in which he will once again voice Puss In Boots.
Personal life
Banderas divorced his first wife, Ana Leza, and in 1996 married actress
Melanie Griffith, whom he had met during the shooting of
Two Much. They have a daughter, Stella del Carmen Banderas Griffith (also simply Stella Banderas), who appeared in the film
Crazy in Alabama, in which Griffith starred and which Banderas directed.
Banderas has invested his movie earnings in businesses marketing
Andalusian products, which he promotes in Spain and the USA. He is a long time supporter of the
Real Madrid Futbol Club. While he talks his native
Andalusian Spanish with his family and Spanish press, he switches to the Castilian pronunciation when playing non-Andalusian roles or when dubbing his Hollywood performances.
Footnotes
Interviews
*
IGN Films interview (May 19, 2004)
*
About.com interview (May, 2004)
*
MovieHole interview (July 30, 2002)
*
BBC Films interview (April 12, 2001)
*
Antonio Banderas Video*
Biography.
