BANDERAS, ANTONIO

born October 10, 1960, Malaga, Spain in full Jos Antonio Domnguez Banderas Spanish-born film actor whose good looks, sensuality, and emotional range have made him a leading international star. Banderas, the son of a police officer and a teacher, was a soccer protg as a youth, but a serious foot injury at age 14 dashed his hopes of making the sport his profession. The following year, he developed an interest in acting after seeing a stage performance of the rock musical Hair, saying at the time, I want to be part of this ritual; I want to do this forever. In 1981 he embarked on a five-year acting stint with the Spanish national theatre in Madrid. There he was discovered by movie director Pedro Almodvar, who offered him roles. In his first movie with Almodvar, Laberinto de pasiones (1982; Labyrinth of Passion), Banderas received good notices for his role as a gay Islamic terrorist. Under Almodvar's direction the young actor was able to express his talent fully through such unconventional roles as rapist, mental patient, and kidnapper. This experience proved valuable for Banderas after he moved to Hollywood in 1989. There, in 1992, he landed a role in the cult favourite The Mambo Kings, playing a young Cuban musician living in New York City. Although he spoke almost no English, Banderas was able to learn his lines phonetically and later took intensive English courses, which helped him land the role of Tom Hanks's lover in the box-office hit Philadelphia in 1993. Wanting to take the United States by storm, Banderas then embarked on a whirlwind acting spree. His movies include The House of the Spirits (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Miami Rhapsody (1995), Desperado (1995), Assassins (1995), Never Talk to Strangers (1995), and Evita (1996), in which he costarred with Madonna and portrayed the role of Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara. Accused by some critics of overexposure, Banderas conceded that he was ambitious but said that in Spain actors prove their success in this manner. Banderas's unique screen persona, equal parts machismo and sensitivity, was further showcased in the successful The Mask of Zorro (1998), The 13th Warrior (1999), and Play It to the Bone (2000). He made his directorial debut with the comedy Crazy in Alabama (1999), which costarred his wife, actress Melanie Griffith.