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More Antonio Banderas Bios & Profiles

 

The most recent Antonio Banderas biography is published on the main page.
 


Biography #2 (for Take the Lead)

Antonio Banderas recently starred in The Legend of Zorro. His work in The Mask of Zorro opposite Catherine Zeta Jones and Anthony Hopkins earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Other recent work includes voicing the character Puss in Boots in the blockbuster animated film, Shrek 2, a role which he will revisit for Shrek 3.

Born in Malaga, Spain, Banderas attended the School of Dramatic Arts in his hometown, and upon graduation he began his acting career working in a small theater company based there. He later moved to Madrid and became an ensemble member of the prestigious National Theater of Spain.

In 1982, Banderas was cast by writer/director Pedro Almodovar in Labyrinth of Passion. It was the first of five films Banderas would do with Almodovar, the others being Matador, Law of Desire, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! The international success of these films introduced him to Hollywood. Notably, for his American film debut in Mambo Kings in 1992, he spoke no English yet learned all of his dialogue phonetically.

He went on to land his first starring role in Desperado and continued with the follow up - Once Upon a Time in Mexico alongside Johnny Depp and Salma Hayek. Since then, he has starred in such films as Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2, Original Sin, Four Rooms, Assassins, Miami Rhapsody, Never Talk to Strangers, Interview with a Vampire, House of the Spirits and Philadelphia.

Banderas received critical praise and a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for his acting and vocal talents as 'Che' opposite Madonna in the big-screen adaptation of the musical Evita. Other awards to his credit include a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theater Company production of NINE, a musical inspired by Fellini's 8 ½. He also received a Best Actor Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award and Theatre World Award.

Banderas made his directorial debut with Crazy in Alabama. He also recently directed the Spanish film El Camino de Los Ingleses.

Bio courtesy New Line Cinema for "Take the Lead" (08-Apr-2006)


Biography #3 (for Once Upon a Time in Mexico)

Antonio Banderas is one of the leading international stars of his generation. He earned critical praise and a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for his acting and vocal talents as Che Guevara, opposite Madonna, in Alan Parker's 1996 big-screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Evita. He earned a second Golden Globe nomination for the title role in the box office hit The Mask of Zorro opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In 1999, he made his directorial debut with Crazy in Alabama starring Melanie Griffith and, recently, he made his Broadway musical debut in Nine for which he was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical. He won the Drama Desk award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama League Award and the Theater World Award for his performance in Nine.

Banderas recently appeared in Brian de Palma's Femme Fatale and Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids trilogy of films. He also had a cameo in the biopic Frida starring Salma Hayek. Upcoming is Imagining Argentina with Emma Thompson and the title role in Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.

Born in Malaga, Spain, Banderas attended the School of Dramatic Art in his hometown and, upon graduation, began his acting career at a small theater company based there. He moved to Madrid in 1981 and became an ensemble member of the prestigious National Theater of Spain, where he remained through 1986.

In 1982, Banderas was cast by writer/director Pedro Almodovar in Labyrinth of Passion, beginning a professional collaboration between the two that would continue through four more films including Matador, Law of Desire, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! During this time, Banderas also acted in more conventional Spanish dramas including The Stilts, The Pleasure of Killing and Baton Rouge.

The international success of Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! brought Banderas to the attention of American audiences and led to his American film debut in 1992 as a young Cuban musician in The Mambo Kings. At the time he was cast in the movie, Banderas spoke no English and had to learn all of his dialogue phonetically.

The Mambo Kings provided Banderas with a springboard to significant supporting roles in four major productions in two years, Philadelphia, House of the Spirits, Interview with the Vampire and Miami Rhapsody. His first starring role in an American film was in the 1995's Desperado, also for Robert Rodriguez. Among his additional film credits are Never Talk to Strangers, Assassins, Four Rooms, Two Much, The 13th Warrior, Original Sin, Play it to the Bone and Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever.

Bio courtesy Columbia Pictures for "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" (12-Oct-2003)