ANTONIO BANDERAS
PLAYING CHE
Born on August 10, 1960, in Malaga Spain, Jose Antonio Dominguez Banderas
studied theatre at the School of Dramatic Art in Malaga. His
acting career began in this city in an independent theatre company. Moving to
Madrid in 1981, Banderas worked in theatre and television, leading to his
eventual debut in Labyrinth Of Passion, a Pedro Almodovar production.
It was Pedro who chose Antonio's currently famous working name.
Banderas went on to film many projects under Almodovar's direction, including
Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me
Down!, for which he earned Spain's equivalent of a Best Actor Oscar
nomination. Banderas has also appeared in over thirty Spanish films.
Banderas accomplished his American film debut in 1992's Mambo Kings,
opposite Armand Assante. Banderas claims he will never be able to thank
Arnie Glimcher enough for the courage to cast him in the role. Due to his
native language not being American English, Banderas managed to learn English
through eight hours a day of English language instruction. His breakthrough
role in English-speaking roles and American movies was his portrayal of
Nestor Castillo, a soulful Cuban musician/composer. His future works
following this include Miami Rhapsody with Mia Farrow and Sarah
Jessica Parker, The House Of The Spirits with Jeremy Irons, Glenn
Close, Meryl Streep, and Winona Ryder, Assassins with Sylvester
Stallone, Never Talk To Strangers with Rebecca DeMornay, Of Love
And Shadows, Desperado (where he plays a Mexican musician),
and Two Much, a comedy with now-wife Melanie
Griffith. In addition, Banderas appeared in an anthology production entitled
Four Rooms, directed by Robert Rodriguez. This movie also features
his Evita co-star Madonna, playing one of the witches. A future
project for Antonio is a movie version of Zorro.
Zorro's shooting has been apparently postponed till January (although Spanish sources still claim October) and will be directed by Goldeneye director Martin Campbell (not Robert Rodriguez, who was slated to be the original director).
Entertainment Tonight has reported that Antonio and Mel are planning
to be in a movie together entitled Palm Beached in which he plays a
captain of a Venezuelan tanker
that gets beached on socialite Mel's private beach.
Antonio and Melanie's first child, Estela del Carmen Banderas Griffith was born in Marbella Spain, September 24th, 21:30 (9:30 pm) Spanish time. [That's right, the official name is "Banderas" and not Antonio's father's surname "Dominguez".] The little girl weighed in at 2.6 Kg or 5.7 lbs. Small babies run in Melanie's family as Dakota was 5 lbs, 14 oz. Stella, as she'll probably be known in the States, had dark hair and blue eyes. Antonio describes her as "very pretty". Antonio was there for the birth and gave his daughter her first bath. Antonio was gracious and laughing with the Spanish press shortly after the birth (according to Entertainment Tonight, he saw them only fourteen minutes after she was born). The birth was very quick, taking only 40 minutes, and Melanie left for home shortly after.
On the same day (September 24th), Two Much was released on video in the States. The same week, Baton Rouge, a 1988 thriller in which Antonio plays a gigolo conspiring to murder his mistress' husband, was also released on video. The latter film had outstanding performances by Antonio, Victoria Abril, and Carmen Maura.
Antonio and Melanie have formed a production company called "Green Moon".
Antonio's name has been linked to these other film projects: A movie about Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna (to be produced by Green Moon);
Tania, to be produced by Mick Jagger, where Antonio is wanted to play the role of Che Guevara (Surprise!!); and
Dark Grace, directed by Sidney Pollock. This film is set in Brazil in the 1950s, and centers on an ordinary man who develops incredible healing powers after he is possessed by the spirit of a doctor who served during World War II.
Born on August 10, 1960, in Malaga Spain, Jose Antonio Dominguez Banderas
studied theatre at the School of Dramatic Art in Malaga. His
acting career began in this city in an independent theatre company. Moving to
Madrid in 1981, Banderas worked in theatre and television, leading to his
eventual debut in Labyrinth Of Passion, a Pedro Almodovar production.
It was Pedro who chose Antonio's currently famous working name.
Banderas went on to film many projects under Almodovar's direction, including
Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me
Down!, for which he earned Spain's equivalent of a Best Actor Oscar
nomination. Banderas has also appeared in over thirty Spanish films.
Banderas accomplished his American film debut in 1992's Mambo Kings,
opposite Armand Assante. Banderas claims he will never be able to thank
Arnie Glimcher enough for the courage to cast him in the role. Due to his
native language not being American English, Banderas managed to learn English
through eight hours a day of English language instruction. His breakthrough
role in English-speaking roles and American movies was his portrayal of
Nestor Castillo, a soulful Cuban musician/composer. His future works
following this include Miami Rhapsody with Mia Farrow and Sarah
Jessica Parker, The House Of The Spirits with Jeremy Irons, Glenn
Close, Meryl Streep, and Winona Ryder, Assassins with Sylvester
Stallone, Never Talk To Strangers with Rebecca DeMornay, Of Love
And Shadows, Desperado (where he plays a Mexican musician),
and Two Much, a comedy with now-wife Melanie
Griffith. In addition, Banderas appeared in an anthology production entitled
Four Rooms, directed by Robert Rodriguez. This movie also features
his Evita co-star Madonna, playing one of the witches. A future
project for Antonio is a movie version of Zorro.
Zorro's shooting has been apparently postponed till January (although Spanish sources still claim October) and will be directed by Goldeneye director Martin Campbell (not Robert Rodriguez, who was slated to be the original director).
Entertainment Tonight has reported that Antonio and Mel are planning
to be in a movie together entitled Palm Beached in which he plays a
captain of a Venezuelan tanker
that gets beached on socialite Mel's private beach.