Here is the biography of Antonio Banderas:
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas was born on August 10, 1960, in Málaga, Andalusia, Spain, to Jose Dominguez, a policeman, and Doña Ana Banderas Gallego, a school teacher. He was raised a Roman Catholic and had a passion for soccer, playing for his school team until breaking his foot at the age of 14. This led him to develop a passion for theatre, after seeing the stage production of "Hair".
Banderas began his acting studies at the School of Dramatic Arts in Málaga and made his acting debut at a small theatre in Málaga. He was arrested by the Spanish police for performing in a play by Bertolt Brecht, due to political censorship under the rule of General Francisco Franco. He spent a whole night at the police station and had three or four such arrests while working with a small theatre troupe that toured all over Spain.
At the age of 19, Banderas moved to Madrid in pursuit of an acting career, working as a waiter and taking small modeling jobs. He joined the troupe at the National Theatre of Spain, becoming the youngest member of the company. His stage performances caught the attention of movie director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast the young actor in his movie debut Labyrinth of Passion (1982).
Banderas and Almodóvar collaborated on several films, including Law of Desire (1987),which made headlines in Spain with Banderas' performance as a gay man. This long and fruitful collaboration eventually prepared him for international recognition, which came with his work in the Academy Award-nominated film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988).
In 1991, he appeared as an object of Madonna's affection in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991). Banderas made his Hollywood debut with The Mambo Kings (1992),after which he shot to international fame with his performance in Philadelphia (1993),opposite Tom Hanks. He then played opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire (1994).
Banderas further established himself as one of Hollywood's leading men after co-starring in Evita (1996) opposite Madonna in the title role. He won acclaim for his portrayal of Zorro, opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, in The Mask of Zorro (1998). For the role, he took training with the Olympic national fencing team in Spain and practiced his moves with real steel swords.
Banderas made his directorial debut in Crazy in Alabama (1999),starring his wife, Melanie Griffith. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros opposite Salma Hayek in Frida (2002). He voiced Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise.
Banderas established himself as an internationally known Latin heartthrob with charismatic looks, and was chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine in 1996. He won numerous awards and nominations for his works in film, including three ALMA awards and three Golden Globe nominations.
From 1996 to 2014, Banderas was married to American actress Melanie Griffith and the couple have one daughter, Stella (born 1996). Outside of his acting profession, Banderas has been a passionate soccer fan and a staunch supporter of the Real Madrid Football Club. He shares time between his two residencies, one in the United States, and one in the South of Spain.
