In a recent interview with the London Times (via The Independent), Antonio Banderas said he was warned when he arrived in Hollywood that Latinos and blacks could only play villains, but he later shattered that stereotype by playing the adventurer Zorro in 1998’s The Mask of Zorro.
“They said, ‘We’re here to play the bad guy, just like blacks and Hispanics,'” Banderas told the magazine about his pivot from Spanish films to Hollywood productions. “The problem is, years later, when I put on the mask, hat, sword, and cloak, the bad guy was Captain Love, the blonde, blue-eyed guy.”
“Even more important is ‘Puss in Boots,’ because it’s for young kids,” Banderas added about stepping into the role of a hero. “They’re seeing a cat with a Spanish or even Andalusian accent, and he’s a good guy.”
After a decade of filmmaking in his native Spain, including co-stars with Pedro Almodovar, Banderas made his foray into Hollywood in 1992 with Warner Bros.’s Mambo Kings, co-starring Armando Assante as brother musicians who defect from Cuba to New York City. In the ’90s, Banderas rose to prominence in Hollywood, from Oscar-nominated films like Philadelphia to big-budget films like Interview with the Vampire to independent films like Depserado. He starred as Che opposite Madonna in 1996’s Evita before landing the role of Zorro.
Banderas co-starred with Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones in The Mask of Zorro, which cost less than $100 million to make and became a bona fide blockbuster, grossing $250 million worldwide. Banderas and Zeta-Jones returned for the 2005 sequel, The Legend of Zorro. Both films were directed by Martin Campbell.
“‘The Mask of Zorro’ is a sharp retort to those who say it won’t happen again. The legendary swordsman’s return is served by a grand spectacle of classical style,” Variety wrote in its review of Banderas’ first Zorro film, with particular praise given to the leading man. Zoro. ”
