> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Antonio Banderas: Maturity comes to the sequels - URL: https://www.smdp.com/antonio-banderas-maturity-comes-to-the-sequels/ - Published: 2004-05-21T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T04:22:26.000Z - Author: Dan Dunn - Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import While he’s not known for being a comedian, make no mistake, Antonio Banderas is a very funny guy. To wit: We first met 14 years ago in a hotel in Philadelphia where he was shooting his second American feature, and I was a bellman working my way through college. Our paths crossed again last week, this time at a swanky Beverly Hills auberge, and while Banderas has since become one of this country’s biggest movie stars I’ve yet to pay off my student loans. “Yes, but at least you’re no longer carrying luggage,” he said, a grin slicing across his famously handsome face. Then he added, “Although they may be hiring here at the hotel if you need some extra money.” See? He’s HILARIOUS! And that keen sense of humor is put to great use in “Shrek 2,” in which Banderas gives voice to Puss-in- Boots, a lion-hearted kitty short in stature but not confidence. The animated sequel, which also features the vocal stylings of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and John Cleese, opens today. QUESTION: You play, literally, the coolest cat in “Shrek 2.” What is it about Puss-in-Boots that makes him such a fun character? ANTONIO BANDERAS: I think the key word is contrast. He’s this little cat, but instead of providing him a voice to fit his size, they went totally in the opposite direction. And that contrast is the source of the comedy. Q: It’s Puss-in-Boots versus El Mariachi — who wins? AB: Even if I feel it, I would never tell you which one was my favorite. Q: No, I meant in a fight, who would win? AB: Oh, who would win a fight? I think Puss-in-Boots. Q: And against Zorro? AB: Puss-in-Boots. All he has to do is make that adorable face (laughs). Q: It is a dangerously cute face. Have you ever tried a similar maneuver? AB: I try, but it doesn’t work the same way (laughs). The cat is able to stop an army with one look, but me … Q: Perhaps men should try it on angry women. AB: Sure, but it doesn’t work. Trust me. Q: Does your wife (actress Melanie Griffith) have a favorite film of yours? AB: She loves “Evita,” and she loves also the Pedro Almodovar years. “Zorro” is one of her favorites, and she was also attached very much to the story of “Original Sin.” I suppose that’s because Melanie is also a very romantic person, and is drawn to a story about an impossible relationship. Q: Which films of hers do you enjoy most? AB: I admired Melanie before I loved her. Of course, “Working Girl” was great, but the first movie I remember seeing Melanie in was “Something Wild.” She was wearing a dark wig, and I thought she was like that. Q: You dug her as a brunette? AB: Yes, that’s why I put a wig on her when I directed “Crazy in Alabama.” The first impression I had of her was with black hair, and I remember that her eyes and her face stood out in a much more dramatic way than when she was blonde. Q: You’ve worked with actors such as Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt back when they were on the cusp of superstardom. Is that sort of Alist potential something easily recognized? AB: Yes. There’s a bunch of elements that go into that level of fame, and first and foremost, you have to be appealing to an audience. And that is something you or born with or not. Those guys, they were born with it. Q: You lived in Philadelphia for a few months in the early 1990s. What did you think of the place? AB: I love the city. I love the history of the city, and the spirit of the place and their heart. I remember we participated in some demonstrations and AIDS marches, and everyone in Philadelphia was behind it. I really love the place. Q: You’re doing a sequel to “Zorro.” What can we expect this time? AB: A more mature movie. There is not so much the winks to the teens, it is a movie more for me and you. It goes a little bit more into the mature relationship side, without losing the comedy and the adventure that is the essence of the first movie. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 21, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052104.pdf?ref=smdp.com)