Antonio Banderas says that when he arrived in Hollywood in the early 1990s, studio executives told him that actors who were Black or Hispanic could only play villains. The longtime leading man says he ignored that advice and proved them wrong.
In an interview with the Times of London, Banderas recalled being warned not to expect “hero” roles. “They said, ‘You are here, like the Blacks and the Hispanics, to play the bad guys,’” he said. But the Spanish-born actor would soon flip that narrative when he starred as Zorro in the 1998 action hit The Mask of Zorro. “A few years later I had a mask, hat, sword and cape and the bad guy was Captain Love, who was blond and had blue eyes,” he told the paper.
Banderas said one of his most meaningful roles came years later when he voiced Puss in Boots. “It’s for young kids,” he said. “They see a cat that has a Spanish, even an Andalusian accent, and he’s a good guy.”
Before his Hollywood success, Banderas built a career in Spain. His first major U.S. appearance came in the 1992 drama The Mambo Kings. He soon followed that with major roles in Philadelphia, Interview with the Vampire, and Desperado. But The Mask of Zorro became a breakout moment, earning $250 million worldwide on a budget under $100 million and later inspiring a 2005 sequel, The Legend of Zorro.
Banderas says he is proud of his work breaking Hollywood’s racial stereotypes but admits his priorities changed after a major health scare. The actor suffered a heart attack in 2017, which he describes as “a serious warning” that “changed the way I look at life.” Following his recovery, he quit smoking, sold his private jet, and moved back to Spain. “Faced with death, it made me look back and realize that I am, in fact, a theatre actor,” Banderas said.
Today, he continues to work in film, including upcoming performances like Paddington in Peru, but his main focus is the Teatro del Soho, a non-profit theater he operates in Málaga. “I have never been so happy,” he said, crediting the heart attack with giving him a clearer sense of purpose. Doctors installed three stents in his arteries, which he says has helped prevent further problems.
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English (US) · 