WELL, not exactly… yet. But if you don’t know by now, I’m in Los Angeles visiting some people who just happen to work in the film industry in a company called Dreamworks. You may have heard of it. Anyway, who should I meet but this bearded Spanish guy who calls himself Antonio Banderas.
Yes, Antonio Banderas. The guy who played the swash-buckling Zorro, who played a Mambo King, who played the meek stutterer, who played the… ah, you know, he played a lot of characters.
- In this picture, he plays “Man talking to Korean women”
Yup, I was sitting in a restaurant chowing down on some fine Brussels sprouts and chicken, when someone says, “Hey, Antonio Banderas is here!”
Naturally, I voomed from my chair to meet the man whom Steve Buscemi’s character in Desperado dubbed, “The biggest Mexican I’ve ever seen”.
Which was why didn’t spot him at first, because I was looking out for a seven-foot gun slinging hero with long wavy hair. Of course, he wasn’t anything like that.
In fact, there are four things you learn about Antonio Banderas when you come face to face with him. One, he’s got smooth hands; two, he’s not as tall as he seems to be on the big screen, where he’s like 30 feet tall – he’s actually only about half a head taller than me; three, his beard is curlier than the hair on his head; and four, he’s coming to Singapore!
- In this picture, he plays “Man turning to the side”
“Oh, you are from Singapore! I’m going there in May! Yes!” he says enthusiastically shaking my hand, before turning to his assistant and asking, “when are we going in May?”
“May 8? Yes, yes, we’ll we there for the screening of Shrek and to that theme park there,” he continues. “It’s sounds exciting. I think it’s going to be exciting!”
Yes, folks! I’m here to spoil the market and tell everyone, whether they want to hear it or not that Antonio Banderas, who played the guitar-slinging gunman; who played the swash-buckling cat; who played the unstable kidnapper, who played the… ah you know the rest.
And his next role is, Person Coming To Singapore In May For Shrek Forever Afterpremiere and opening of the Universal theme park in Sentosa’s IR where they have what he calls a “Shrek Land” in there.
Which of course, leads me to my other question: “Can I take a photo with you?”
“Sure! That’s what we’re here for!” he says enthusiastically again. At least I think it’s enthusiasm. It could be sarcasm. I can’t tell. He had no a sarcasm sign. But I don’t care. I have a photo with Antonio Banderas, who played the father of those spy kids, who played opposite Madonna in that Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, who played…
