Staying Fit
Antonio Banderas tells AARP about his brush with death and his Oscar-buzzed role as director Pedro Almodóvar’s alter ego in Pain and Glory, a character inspired by Almodóvar’s own life story.
What’s the “pain” in Pain and Glory?
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Physical pain, isolation and solitude. That’s what Pedro experienced. Our friends said, “Oh, Pedro is not coming out of his house lately. He’s got a problem with his back, with migraines.” When we shot The Skin I Live In [2011], he was in crisis — somber, worried and more aggressive.
Who was at fault
Maybe I also contributed to that. After doing eight films with him and then 22 years without him, I went back — not cocky, but saying, “Hey, look what I’ve learned. I’m a different actor now.” After a week, he said, “Eh, all of those things you’re bringing that you’re so proud of, I cannot use any of them. Where are you?” I felt that as an aggression. This is a game of power. But when I saw The Skin I Live In, I realized he’d managed to get out of me a character I didn’t even know I had inside.
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