He began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in high-profile Hollywood films, especially in the 1990s, including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire, Philadelphia, Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Spy Kids, the Shrek sequels and Puss in Boots. While performing with the theatre, Banderas caught the attention of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast the young actor in his 1982 film debut, Labyrinth of Passion. Banderas’ having become a regular feature of Almodóvar’s movies all throughout the 1980s, Almodóvar is credited for helping launch Banderas’s international career. in 2001, he collaborated with Robert Rodriguez who cast him in the Spy Kids film trilogy. His performance is preserved on the Broadway cast recording released by PS Classics. in 2006, he starred in Take the Lead, a high-set movie in which he played a ballroom dancing teacher. He hosted the 600th episode of Saturday Night Live (during season 31).
Banderas: ‘Hayek and I grew to hate each other on Puss in Boots press tour’ ANTONIO BANDERAS and SALMA HAYEK grew to hate each other as they travelled the world promoting PUSS IN BOOTS. [link]
