Mention Antonio Banderas, and we’re likely to conjure images of the suave actor as Zorro, Spy Kid patriarch Gregorio Cortez, or as the shotgun-wielding El Mariachi. But those of us lucky enough to have seen Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire know that lately, the 51-year-old Banderas is looking more and more like Fidel Castro.
Which gives the next bit of news a nice little tilt.
Banderas has had discussions about playing the iconic Cuban dictator for Michael Radford’s upcoming drama Castro's Daughter, Screen Daily reports. The movie focuses on Alina Fernandez, the daughter of Castro and Cuban socialite Naty Reuelta. And it was Fernandez herself who suggested the Puss In Boots star to play her father in screen.
"I have been a huge fan of Antonio for years, and hope to see him play my father. I think he has a phenomenal charisma, and think he has the nerve to play the role perfectly," she said. "I’m very excited that he would consider this."
Producers at Mankind Entertainment, who are backing Castro’s Daughter, are making comparisons to The King’s Speech in terms of the way it tells a crucial slice of specific history. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves here - an offer has reportedly been made to Banderas, and we’ll see if he accepts. The film certainly has street cred on an award’s level. Crash co-writer Bobby Moresco is tackling the screenwriting duties with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nilo Cruz, and Banderas is an underrated actor who likely would crush the part of Castro. But it’s early, so let’s wait and see what happens.
