Antonio Banderas is a Spanish actor, film producer and director. Banderas began his acting career with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar in the 1980s and then appeared in several Hollywood films, such as Philadelphia, Interview with the Vampire, Desperado, Assassins, Evita and The Mask of Zorro. He also appeared in the Spy Kids series and provided the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise as well as its spin-off film Puss in Boots.
In 2003, Banderas made his theatre debut as Guido Contini in Nine, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award. Antonio received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his roles in the television film And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself and the second season of Genius his portrayal of Pablo Picasso in the latter garnered him critical praise.
Birth Name
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera
Nickname
The Latin Lover
Profession
Actor, Director, Producer
Genre
Pop, Soundtrack
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Warner Bros. Records
Nationality
Spanish
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Antonio Banderas was born on the 10th of August 1960, in Malaga, Andalusia, Spain.
Age
He’s currently 63 years old.
Sun Sign
Leo
Ethnicity
White
Religion
Roman Catholic
Education
Antonio Banderas was enrolled at the School of Dramatic Art in his hometown. In May 2010, Banderas received an honorary doctorate from the University of Málaga. He received an honorary degree from Dickinson College in 2000. In August 2015, he also got admission at the Central Saint Martins to pursue fashion designing course.
Family Details
- Father – José Domínguez (Police Officer in Civil Guard) (Passed away in 2008)
- Mother – Ana Bandera Gallego (School Teacher)
- Siblings – Francisco Javier Banderas (Brother), Chloe Banderas (Sister)
- Relatives – Bartolomí Domínguez (Paternal Grandfather), Isabel Domínguez (Paternal Grandmother), Rafael Banderas (Maternal Grandfather), Francisca Gallego Banderas (Maternal Grandmother)
Marital Status
Divorced
Girlfriend / Spouse
Antonio Banderas has dated –
- Ana Leza (1987-1996) – Antonio reportedly met his first wife Ana Leza in Madrid through a mutual friend in a bar. There are some sources that claim they first met at a coffee shop under the National Theatre. They got married in July 1987 at the Church of San Nicholas in Madrid. Antonio’s affair with Melanie brought an end to their relationship and after separating in 1996, they officially got divorced in 1997.
- Melanie Griffith (1995-2015) – Antonio started dating his second wife Melanie Griffith in 1995. He had been her fan from long before. However, the age difference of more than a decade didn’t matter to them and they started their fiery affair on the sets of the movie. Also, at that time, Antonio was still married to his first wife, Ana Leza, whom he hastily divorced so that he could get married to Melanie. She also hadn’t got officially divorced from Don Johnson. When they got married in May 1996, Melanie was already pregnant. In September 1996, she gave birth to their daughter, Stella Del Carmen Banderas. In June 2014, Griffith and Banderas released a statement announcing their intention to divorce in a loving and friendly manner. According to the petition filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the couple had irreconcilable differences that led to their separation. The divorce became official in December 2015.
- Nicole Kimpel (2014-Present) – Antonio started going out with Dutch investment banker Nicole Kimpel just after the official end of his marriage with Griffith. Antonio was first actually spotted with Nicole at the Cannes Film Festival just a month before Melanie ended their marriage. However, sources in the Spanish media claimed that Nicole was in no way responsible for Antonio and Melanie’s split. Antonio is 19 years her senior.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 8½ inches
- In centimeters – 174 cm
- In meters – 1.74 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 76 kg
- In Pounds – 168 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 45–16–34
- Chest – 45 in or 114 cm
- Arms / Biceps – 16 in or 40.5 cm
- Waist – 34 in or 86 cm
Body Build
Average
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Gray
Shoe Size
His shoe size is 11 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Banderas began his acting career with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar in the 1980s and then appeared in several Hollywood films, such as Philadelphia (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Desperado (1995), Assassins (1995), Evita (1996) and The Mask of Zorro (1998). He also appeared in the Spy Kids series and provided the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise as well as its spin-off film Puss in Boots.
Film Debut
In 1982, Antonio made his first film appearance in the Spanish drama flick, Pestañas postizas.
Television Debut
In 1984, Banderas made his television show debut in the drama miniseries, Fragmentos de interior in 4 episodes.
Brand Endorsements
Antonio has lent his voice for computer-animated bee used in the television commercial for Nasonex and the other brands he has done endorsement work for include Freixenet, Lycia, Puig, Mulino Bianco Barilla, Subaru Forester & Wrigley’s Extra. In 2007, he was also cast in Christmas promotion campaign for British retail chain, Marks and Spencer.
Antonio Banderas Net worth
Antonio Banderas has an estimated net worth of $50 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Antonio Banderas
- Instagram – antoniobanderasoficial
- Twitter – Antonio Banderas
Some Lesser Known Facts About Antonio Banderas
- Early in his acting career, his parents, especially his mother, weren’t thrilled about his desire to become an actor.
- He loves cooking when he is around at his house. It is one of his passions. He loves cooking paella on Sundays for his family.
- While growing up, he dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. However, he broke his foot when he was 14 years old and had to give up his dream.
- Before he was discovered by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, he used to perform in local theaters in Madrid and had even formed his own touring theater group.
- During his early struggling days as a theater actor, he used to work in small shops to keep himself financially afloat.
- He has 50 percent ownership of Anta Banderas, which is a winery located in Villalba de Duero in Spain. The winery is popular for its red and rose wines.
- In 1995, the Empire magazine placed him on the 24th position in the list featuring 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History.
- In 1996, Banderas appeared among other figures of Spanish culture in a video supporting the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party lists in the general election.
- Antonio has been involved in social activism work with UNICEF and was one of the featured artists to have recorded for UNICEF’s Children First. The music CD aimed to describe the human life cycle through music and text.
- In 2000, he received an honorary degree from Dickinson College. He was also awarded honorary doctorate by University of Málaga in May 2010.
- In 2002, Banderas and his then-wife Melanie Griffith were honored with Stella Adler Angel Award in recognition of their philanthropic endeavors.
- In 2002, he starred in Brian De Palma’s Femme Fatale opposite Rebecca Romijn and in Julie Taymor’s Frida with Salma Hayek.
- In 2003, he starred in the last installment of the trilogy Once Upon a Time in Mexico (in which he appeared with Johnny Depp and Hayek).
- In 2003, he returned to the musical genre, appearing to great acclaim in the Broadway revival of Maury Yeston’s musical Nine, based on the film 8½, playing the prime role originated by Raul Julia.
- In October 2005, he was honored with his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the famous Hollywood Boulevard in California.
- In 2011, the horror thriller The Skin I Live In marked the return of Banderas to Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director who launched his international career.
- In 2013, he called on Europe and the United States to emulate Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and nationalize big corporations as a solution to the global economic crisis.
- In June 2015, Banderas demonstrated his support for Israel by taking part in a fund-raising event organized by Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF), which raised $31m for Israeli soldiers.
- In 2018, he was cast with Penélope Cruz in the Spanish film Pain and Glory (Dolor y gloria), directed by Pedro Almodóvar.
- In May 25, 2019, Antonio won Best Actor at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film. He was later nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Pain and Glory.
