Hispanic Hombre Antonio Banderas was born 56 years ago today and to celebrate that we look back at few of his most iconic characters.
El Mariachi
You’ve seen him in Desparado throwing a mean hook and jab; so he’s come back for more in Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Recruited by CIA agent Sheldon Sands, Mariachi is to kill a corrupt Mexican army officer who aims to assassinate the President of Mexico.
Tommy Lucero
Nothing like a criminal in a comic role; Banderas as Tommy Lucero in the rom-com film My Mom’s New Boyfriend has irony written all over it. Imagine being an international level thief and falling for an FBI agent’s mother. That’s one cage you really don’t want to rattle! Never the less, Banderas managed to gave us a reason or two to burst into giggles.
Zorro
When the sarcastic thief Alejandro Murrieta is taken under Diego De La Vega’s tutelage in The Mask of Zorro, he not only masters the art of swinging the sword, but he also swears to do right by the commoners of Las Californias. In addition to wearing a mask and taking down bad guys, he also wins over the heart of fair maiden Elena.
Puss
Here’s a much younger and furrier representation of Zorro! With his bright green eyes and soft purrs, Puss will have you eating out of his paws in not time. Like Zorro, Puss too has a sense of morality and even when he wrongs someone, he musters up the courage and confidence to make amends. If there’s anyone who did justice to the story of Puss in Boots, it’s Banderas.
*WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WISH MR BANDERAS THE HEARTIEST OF BIRTHDAYS!