Antonio Banderas says a heart attack nearly a decade ago changed the course of his life.
Speaking to People in an interview published Wednesday, Aug. 5, the 65-year-old actor reflected on how having a heart attack in 2017 reshaped his priorities and gave him a new appreciation for “the experience of living.”
“My heart attack was the best thing that ever happened in my life,” he said. “It was like somebody put glasses on me so I could see the reality that I didn’t see before.”
After experiencing chest pains at his home in Surrey, England, Banderas underwent emergency surgery and had three stents placed in his arteries.
The 2017 health scare prompted him to quit smoking and return to his hometown of Málaga, Spain.
“You always have in your mind that you’re going to die,” he said. “But then when you have it so close, it’s an unbelievably clear reminder of how stupid you are losing time over things that don’t deserve to be in your life.”
Since then, Banderas has pursued new passions, including launching the theater Teatro del Soho CaixaBank in Málaga and opening restaurants.
His experience owning eight restaurants also helped him connect with his latest role as Ciro Cozzi, a restaurant owner and mentor to Anthony Bourdain in the upcoming biopic “Tony.”
“I didn’t know Anthony Bourdain personally, but I thought that [‘No Reservations’] was a beautiful show that was not actually about cooking, but life,” Banderas said. “And then my character, he was a good man. He was somebody who has something to say. It’s almost impossible to say no to a project like this.”
Banderas has previously reflected on how the health scare reshaped his outlook. Speaking with USA TODAY in 2019 while promoting “Pain and Glory,” the actor said his heart attack helped him connect more deeply with the vulnerable character he portrayed.
“Things you might’ve thought were important before vanish, and you realize the only thing that is really, really [definite] is death – everything else is relative,” he said.
Banderas also said the experience made him less fearful. “You lose the fear to just express yourself in a different way,” he said. “I think the heart attack brought me that.”
“Tony” stars Dominic Sessa as a 19-year-old Bourdain, whose life takes an unexpected turn after he lands a job at a Massachusetts restaurant run by Ciro. The drama chronicles the early kitchen experience that helped shape Bourdain’s future career as a food and travel host, and author.
The film opens in select theaters Friday, Aug. 7, before expanding nationwide Aug. 21.