Antonio Banderas was looking characteristically ship-shape when he met a group of US sailors before an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman in New York.
The Spanish hunk is currently appearing on stage in the Big Apple, in a Broadway production of the play Nine. He plays the central character, Guido Contini, in the theatre adaptation of Federico Fellini's classic film 8½.
His performance has already garnered the plaudits of the critics, and a prestigious Tony Award nomination, but Antonio remains humble. "I'm thankful, basically, to everybody who has brought me here," he says.
It is 28 years since the actor first appeared on stage in his native Spain, at the age of 14. Now 42, he has impressed the theatre world with his intelligent portrayal of Fellini's most famous protagonist. "The big problem with Guido is that he wants to take everything with him, every woman, every feeling," says Antonio. "But life is not like that, you have to make choices and you have to mature.
"I think ultimately Guido Contini is an intellect, he's Frederico Fellini himself - introspective. Nine is the story of a man receiving the lesson of adulthood and maturity. I think that was actually where Fellini was at the time he wrote the piece; in a moment of confusion with his own personality and with the world that was surrounding him."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
