Antonio Banderas (Luis Antonio Vargas) is one of the best international actors we have ever had. Success came his way because of his performance in Evita where he bagged Best Actor Golden Globe nomination. He became the talk of the town from that moment and became the hottest man on globe in such a short duration. Banderas has been chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. He has also been declared by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.
Lady luck sat by his side when he grew up and he never had to regret any more in his life. All that happened one week before his 20th birthday and Banderas had only £60 in his pocket. "The idea came in a flash, and the decision, like everything I've done in my life, was made in a matter of seconds," he explained to HELLO! magazine.
He acted in some films directed by Pedro Almodóvar from 1982 to 1990, and is one of the stars of the three Spy Kids movies (2001-2003). After he graduated, he began to act in a theatre company based there. From his experience in that theatre group, Banderas learned a lot of thing which would be useful to him later on.
After working for quite a while, Antonio moved to Madrid in 1981 and joined National Theater of Spain, where he worked uptill 1986. Banderas made his U. S. film debut in 1992 as a young Cuban musician in Mambo Kings, The. Way back in 1992, Antonio did not had any experience of speaking English and had to virtually mug up all the dialogues.
But his performance was appreciated and he got a chance to work in Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia (1993), Bille August's House of the Spirits, The, Neil Jordan's Interview With the Vampire and Miami Rhapsody. He also received outstanding reviews playing the title role in Mask of Zorro, The (1998) opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones, receiving his second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor and winning an Alma Award.
He was also honored with an EFA (European Film Award) for outstanding achievement in World Cinema. Banderas attended the School of Dramatic Art near his home. It was in 1995 that Banderas got to star in an English movie. His lucky chance came along with Robert Rodriguez's Desperado. After that he did Never Talk to Strangers, Assassins, Four Rooms, Two Much, 13th Warrior, the, and Play It to the Bone opposite Woody Harrelson.He was initially married to Ana Leza whom he divorced in 1996 and married Melanie Griffith. The two befriended during the shooting of Two Much. The couple also have a daughter, Stella del Carmen.Apart from being an excellent actor, Antony is also a shrewd business man. He invests a part of money that he earns in marketing various products.
He has also directed a few films along with his wife including Crazy in Alabama though it has not given him much success.Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith recently applied to buy New York's notorious Dakota building. But angry residents cum fans of the couple decided against it and refused to let them live there after Ex Beetle John Lennon got murdered in that apartment. It proves the extent to which his fans like him.
