He began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in high-profile Hollywood films, especially in the 1990s, including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire, Philadelphia, Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Spy Kids and the Shrek sequels. Two years later he went on to appear in the director’s Law of Desire, making headlines with his performance as a gay man, which required him to engage in his first male-to-male onscreen kiss. The recognition Banderas gained for his role increased two years later when he starred in Almodóvar’s controversial Tie Me Up. The following year, still speaking minimal English, he began acting in U.S. films. He also starred in Michael Cristofer’s Original Sin alongside Angelina Jolie the same year. His performance is preserved on the Broadway cast recording released by PS Classics.
