SPY KIDS - ANTONIO BANDERAS - BIOGRAPHY

Antonio Banderas is one of the leading international actors of our time. He earned critical praise and a "Best Actor" Golden Globe nomination for his performance as "Che" positve Madonna in Alan Parker's big-screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd-Tim Rice musical "Evita. He then earned his second Golden Globe nomination for playing the title role in the box office hit THE MASK OF zORRO opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones. He most recently starred with Angelina Jolie in Michael Cristofer's noir thriller ORIGINAL SIN and will next be seen in the independent film "The Body." Banderas also recently made his directorial debut with "Crazy in Alabama," starring Melanie Griffith, and starred opposite Woody Harrelson in Ron Shelton's "Play it to the Bone."

Banderas has worked twice before with director Robert Rodriguez: in DESPERASO which marked his first major starring role in an American feature, and in "Four Rooms."

Born in Malaga, Spain, Antonio Banderas attended the School of Dramatic Art in his hometown, and in 1981 moved to Madrid to became an ensemble member of the prestigious National Theater of Spain, where he remained through 1986. In 1982, Banderas was cast by writer/director Pedro Almodovar in "Labyrinth of Passion." It was the first of five films Banderas would do with Almodovar.

The international success of two Almodovar films starring Banderas --WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAK and TIE ME UP! TIME ME DOWN!- brought the actor's intensity and charms to the attention of American audiences. He made his film debut here in 1992, as a young Cuban musician in "The Mambo Kings." At the time he was cast in the movie, Banderas spoke no English and had to learn all of his dialogue phonetically. Nevertheless, this role provided Banderas with a springboard to significant supporting roles in PHILADELPHIA, HOUSE OF SPIRITS, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and MIAMI RHAPSODY. His other credits include NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS, ASSASSINS, TOO MUCH and THE 13TH WARRIOR.