Antonio Banderas has turned down offers to swap Hollywood for music.
The 63-year-old ‘Mask of Zorro’ star – who shows off his singing chops in new film ‘Journey to Bethlehem’ – has belted out songs in the likes of ‘Shrek 2’ and ‘Desperado’ in the past, but he never wanted to chase it as an actual career.
He told E! News: “I never saw myself as a professional singer.
“When I did ‘Evita’ with Madonna many years ago, they started offering me contracts to do records and stuff like that. I never accepted that.
“It was just too much work, and I was already in my 30-somethings, year 38, and I didn’t want to jump into that territory.”
He has still appeared in musicals on stage – including the likes of ‘A Chorus Line’ and ‘Company’ – at his theatre in Malaga, Spain, and he’s even preparing to direct the venue’s upcoming production of ‘Gypsy’.
He added: “I love singing, but I love singing attached to some dramatic purpose—not as a pop singer.
“I’m not a pop singer. I like to tell a story when I’m singing and that is something that you can do in musical theater.”
In new movie ‘Journey to Bethlehem’, he shares the screen with stepdaughter Dakota Johnson – who he has with ex-wife Melanie Griffith – and she previously showed off her own vocal talents in 2020’s ‘The High Note’.
Asked if they’ve ever swapped tips, he said: “No, not with Dakota. I mean, she was doing movies already by the time that we were still as a family together in Los Angeles.
“After the divorce is when her career, boom, just went up there. But I knew that she could sing.”
