Banderas starting acting in theater and television in Madrid. A staple in the Pedro Almodóvar films of the 1980s, he crossed over to American films in 1992 with The Mambo Kings (1992).
Born in Málaga, Spain, Antonio wanted to play soccer professionally. His dream crashed when he broke his foot at 14 years. Started acting after. His father was a policeman and his mother a teacher. The movie, The Mambo Kings (1992), was done phonetically.