Antonio's darkest secret

by BAZ BAMIGBOYE, Daily Mail

Last updated at 11:09 02 July 2004


A friend dared me to ask Antonio Banderas about the shade of his most intimate attire, and whether or not he colour-coordinates said item with his wife Melanie Griffith. Some friend, huh?

Please understand that this wasn't information that I, personally, was particularly interested in.

But at least it ensured that Antonio and I had a few laughs during our little chat to discuss his sublime voice performance as the swashbuckling Puss-in-boots in Shrek 2.

Anyway, the answers were a) black and b) NO!

We did discuss some serious matters, such as the Spanish elections that followed the terrible bombings in Madrid, and the state of George W. Bush's America.

Antonio has retained his Spanish citizenship, although he has lived in the U.S. on and off for more than a decade.

"I don't want to lose my roots," he told me.

"I don't want to be very critical of America but you have to ask: What is America? Is it Bob Dylan or is it George Bush? Is it Joseph McCarthy or is it Martin Luther King? And what is Spain, for that matter? Is it the Inquisition or Picasso?

"History and culture and people are what make a country - not their politicians."

Antonio's recent spate of family films, from the Spy Kids pictures to Shrek 2, have given him a whole new fan base.

After the summer, he'll go into production on Zorro 2 with Catherine Zeta Jones, then he wants to direct another film.

Two years ago I saw him on Broadway in David Leveaux's production of Nine.

He shone as the only man in a cast of nine women. Next year he'll appear on Broadway in another Leveaux show, a musical based on Death Takes A Holiday (there was the Fredric March movie then Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt).

Antonio's a good singer, and does a duet with Eddie Murphy's Donkey in Shrek 2.

"I'm very happy changing genres, from social movies like Philadelphia and action adventure films like Zorro and Spy Kids. With each one you show different facets."

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