Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas (birth name: Jose Antonio Dominguez Bandera) was born on August 10th, 1960 in Malaga, Andalucia, Spain. His childhood dream of being a professional soccer player was cut short after breaking his foot at age 14. He soon embarked on a new dream, acting, and traveled to Madrid in order to make it come true.

Banderas’ career is due largely in part to his being cast in several Pedro Almodovar films throughout the 1980’s. His roles ranged from gay to straight, and were often highly sexual in nature. It was Almodovar’s "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!" that caused him to break out and head to the United States. In the early 90’s, he appeared in such films as "The Mambo Kings," and "Philadelphia," and gave a memorable performance as Che in "Evita." Banderas played the lead in Robert Rodriguez’s "El Mariachi" (and reprised his role in the sequels "Desperado" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico"). Banderas then began taking more adventure-type roles including two stints as "Zorro" and roles in the "Spy Kids" trilogy.

In 2003, Banderas appeared in "Nine on Broadway," receiving critical acclaim and a Tony Award nomination for his performance. Banderas has been married twice. The most recent is to actress Melanie Griffith?. The two married in 1996 and have one child.