Antonio Banderas has spoken candidly about the ethnic stereotypes he faced upon arriving in Hollywood, recalling being told in no uncertain terms that his Hispanic background limited him to villainous roles, and explaining why breaking out of that box still means so much to him.
“They said: You’re here, like blacks and Hispanics, to play bad guys,” the Oscar-nominated actor said. The times.
The irony of what followed is something he clearly relishes.
“The problem was, a few years later, I had a mask, a hat, a sword and a cape and the bad guy was Captain Love, who was blond and had blue eyes.”
This role was, of course, that of Zorro, the courageous hero played by Banderas in Zorro’s mask in 1998 and The legend of Zorro in 2005.
But it’s a cat, not a swordsman, that he considers the most culturally significant advancement.
Cat in bootsthe character in which he first voiced Shrek2 in 2004, reached an audience that nothing else could match.
“What is even more important is Puss in Bootsbecause it’s for young children. They see a cat that has a Spanish accent, or even an Andalusian accent, and he’s a good guy.”
He has now played the character in five films, including the critically acclaimed film. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022, which earned him an Oscar nomination.
However, the 65-year-old confirmed last year that he had not yet been approached to Shrek5expected in theaters on June 30, 2027.
“I’m not that far away and they don’t call me for that,” he said. Parade.
“Puss in Boots did very well. Number two got an Oscar nomination and the film performed wonderfully at the box office. But I’m totally satisfied with all five Puss in Boots what I did. I don’t know what will happen in the future. Maybe they [will] call me tomorrow.”
