Banderas << ban DAIR ahs >> , Antonio (1960-…), is a Spanish motion-picture actor who became a star in both Spanish- and English-language movies. He became well known for his performances in films by the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar and for his role as the title character in the Hollywood films The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005).
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas was born on Aug. 10, 1960, in Málaga, Spain. He studied acting at the School of Dramatic Art in Málaga. He also toured with a small theater group in Spain. In 1981, he became a member of the National Theater of Spain in Madrid. In 1982, Banderas made his motion-picture debut in Almodóvar’s Labyrinth of Passion. Banderas gained international recognition when he starred in Almodóvar’s comedy Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988). Banderas appeared in a number of other films directed by Almodóvar. They include Matador (1986), Law of Desire (1987), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), The Skin I Live In (2011), I’m So Excited (2013), and Pain and Glory (2019).
In 1992, Banderas made his Hollywood debut in The Mambo Kings. In the movie, he played a Cuban songwriter who goes to the United States. Banderas’s other films include Philadelphia (1993); Interview with the Vampire (1994); Assassins (1995); Desperado (1995) and its sequel, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003); Evita (1996); Frida (2002); You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010); Day of the Falcon (2011); Haywire (2012); Machete Kills (2013); The Expendables 3 (2014); The 33 (2015); and Dolittle (2020).
Banderas also starred in the first three films in the successful “Spy Kids” family adventure series. The series began with Spy Kids (2001). Banderas provided the voice for the character Puss in Boots in the popular “Shrek” series of animated films, beginning with Shrek 2 (2004), and in the animated feature Puss in Boots (2011). Banderas is also a motion-picture director. He directed the comedy Crazy in Alabama (1999) and the romantic drama Summer Rain (2006). Banderas was married to the American actress Melanie Griffith from 1996 to 2015.
See also Almodóvar, Pedro .
