A native of Malaga, Spain (birthplace of Pablo Picasso), Jose Antonio Dominguez Bandera (it was originally spelt without an “s”) was born on October 10th, 1960. Antonio, as he was known, had dreams of being a great soccer player and his father, a policeman, and mother, a teacher, encouraged him to train hard. Unfortunately for soccer fans but fortunately for Hollywood, Banderas broke his foot when he was 14 and was unable to play again.
Antonio Banderas in theater
Healing from the injury, Antonio discovered a new love: acting. He enrolled at a drama school and eventually joined a theater troupe that toured all over Spain. This hard work culminated in an invitation to star with the country’s top actors in the National Theatre of Spain.
Pedro almodovar makes banderas a star
During one of his many performances with the National group, Banderas attracted the attention of director Pedro Almodovar. The budding director convinced Antonio to be part of his next work Laberinto de pasione (Labyrinth of Passion). After doing his first movie, Banderas realized that theater needed to take a backseat so that he could work on his film career. He appeared in four more Almodovar movies, most notably 1988′s Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown). It was during this time that he met Ana Leze, a fellow thespian. They married in 1988, as …Nervous Breakdown was reaching its peak in popularity.
Antonio Banderas plays truth or dare
Three years later, he had had enough of the Spanish film scene and moved to the U.S. to try and find work in Hollywood. His first North American film appearance came in Truth or Dare, where he played the object of Madonna’s advances. But Banderas is better remembered for his role in The Mambo Kings in 1992; for the part, he had to memorize his lines phonetically since he still spoke little English.
Antonio Banderas in philadelphia and desperado
Trying not to be typecast as the token Latin heartthrob, Banderas got a boost after Philadelphia — in which he had a small part as Tom Hanks’ lover — became a blockbuster. In the following three years, he would go from little-known go-getter to big-time Hollywood star: he was cast in leading roles in Desperado and Assassins, two hit action movies that followed a solid performance in Interview with the Vampire, co-starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
Antonio Banderas and melanie griffith
With this newfound fame, audiences began recognizing Banderas as the new hunk in town. He was included in Empire’s 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History and was then chosen as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People magazine. In 1996, he divorced Ana Leza and that same year, met Melanie Griffith on the set of the bomb, Two Much. In May 1996, Griffith and Banderas tied the knot.
Antonio Banderas slays as zorro
Antonio’s stock continued to rise after he went against convention and played Che in the movie musical Evita, which famously starred Madonna in the title role. He returned to his action roots in The Mask of Zorro in 1998 but then experienced some low points with the unsuccessful flicks The 13th Warrior and Play It to the Bone. Still, Banderas remained a hot commodity and proceeded to steam up the screen alongside Angelina Jolie in 2001′s Original Sin.
Antonio Banderas hit films
That same year, he returned to work for Robert Rodriguez, who directed Desperado, for the highly successful Spy Kids trilogy. Banderas then returned to a more adult role in the Brian De Palma thriller Femme Fatale, with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. In 2003, Antonio and Salma Hayek returned to work with Rodriguez for the Desperado sequel, Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
Antonio Banderas in shrek and zorro sequels
During these frenetic couple of years, Banderas found time to star as the title character in HBO’s And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself and received a Golden Globe nomination for his efforts. After filming Frida and Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Banderas took a short break to spend time with his wife, daughter Stella, and stepchildren Alexander and Dakota. Together, they split time between their houses in Los Angeles, Aspen and Marbella, Spain.
In 2004, expect to hear Banderas as “Puss-in-Boots” in Shrek 2. 2005 should be another productive year for him as well, with Zorro 2 expected for release.
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