Antonio Banderas has spoken candidly about the ethnic stereotyping he faced when he first arrived in Hollywood, recalling being told his Hispanic background limited him to villain roles, and explaining why breaking out of that box still means so much to him.
“They said you’re here, like the blacks and Hispanics, to play the bad guys,” the Oscar-nominated actor shared. The Times.
The irony of what follows is something he clearly enjoys.
“The problem was, a few years later, I had a mask, hat, sword and cape, and the bad guy was Captain Love, who was blonde and had blue eyes.”
That role was, of course, Zorro, the brave hero Banderas played in Zorro’s Mask in 1998 and The Legend of Zorro in 2005.
But it was a cat, not a swordsman, that he considers the most culturally significant step forward.
Pus in bootsthe character he first expressed Shrek 2 in 2004 reached an audience that nothing else could quite match.
“Even more important is Puss in bootsbecause it is for small children. They see a cat who has a Spanish, even an Andalusian accent, and he’s a good guy.”
He has now voiced the character across five films, including the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022, which received an Oscar nomination.
However, the 65-year-old confirmed last year that he has not yet been contacted for Shrek 5which hits theaters on June 30, 2027.
“I’m not that far and I’m not called to it,” he shared Parade.
“Puss in boots did very well. Number two earned an Oscar nomination and the film performed beautifully at the box office. But I am completely satisfied with the five Puss in boots that I did. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. Maybe they [will] call me tomorrow.”
