Antonio Banderas Revealed

Antonio Banderas talks to Stephanie van der Plank about his new scent, and raising funds to help children

- Stephanie van der Plank

 Antonio Banderas, 57, started his acting career over 35 years ago and worked his way into our hearts with his smooth Spanish accent and the cheeky grin. Known for his roles in action dramas like The Mask of Zorro, the actor has shown a softer side in recent years, lending his voice to animated hero Puss in Boots in three Shrek films and the stand-alone movie. Now, he’s taking on the role of a lifetime playing legendary artist Picasso in the new season of Genius, which airs on National Geographic early next year.

While he shot to fame on the big screen, Antonio is also a fashion designer, photographer and philanthropist. Through his longstanding relationship with fragrance business Puig, he’s been developing and promoting scents since 1996, linking every new fragrance release to a charity campaign. At the launch of his latest offering, The Secret Temptation, in SA three months ago, he auctioned off his Women in the Gold range of amateur photographs, raising R1,2 million for local AIDS-relief home Nkosi’s Haven.

Antonio has a daughter Stella, 21, from his previous marriage to actress Melanie Griffith, and is currently in a relationship with Dutch investment banker Nicole Kimpel, 37. The couple live in their homes in Surrey in the UK, and Los Angeles in the US.

ON HOLLYWOOD LIFE

I’ve been in this industry for a long time, so I know the ropes.

When I first started acting, I didn’t realise how much travelling I’d be doing, and I often found myself alone in small hotel rooms – there wasn’t even a TV! It could be quite lonely. These days, technology makes being on the road much easier – my computer is loaded with pictures of my family, books I want to read, and several TV series. I try to make wherever I feel like home.