Antonio Banderas says his heart attack is the ‘best thing that ever happened’ to him
Antonio Banderas says surviving a heart attack in 2017 changed his outlook on life.
Almost 10 years ago, the actor was home in Surrey, England, when he started having chest pains. His longtime girlfriend, Nicole Kimpel, gave him aspirin while they waited for first responders. At the hospital, doctors performed emergency surgery and placed three stents in his arteries.
‘Clear reminder’
After the heart attack, Banderas reevaluated his lifestyle. He gave up smoking and eventually moved back to Málaga, Spain, where he grew up.
“You always have in your mind that you’re going to die,” he told People. “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.”
“My heart attack was the best thing that ever happened in my life,” he continued. “It was like somebody put glasses on me so I could see the reality that I didn’t see before.”
What matters most
After moving back to Málaga, Banderas became more involved in his hometown. He opened Teatro del Soho CaixaBank and invested in local restaurants. “It’s true that food and gastronomy is a culture,” he said.
Banderas brings that appreciation for food and culture to Tony, a new biopic in which he plays a chef who influences a young Anthony Bourdain.
“I didn’t know Anthony Bourdain personally, but I thought that [his travelogue series No Reservations] was a beautiful show that was not actually about cooking, but life,” the actor said. “And then my character [based on Bourdain’s mentor Ciro Cozzi], he was a good man. He was somebody who has something to say. And I have eight restaurants, so I am a little bit in that world too. It’s almost impossible to say no to a project like this.”
Family first
Another important part of Banderas’ life is Kimpel, the German-born model he started dating after ending his marriage to Melanie Griffith. The two share a daughter, Stella. He also helped raise Griffith’s older children, daughter Dakota Johnson and son Alexander Bauer.
“My father was my mentor. He was compassionate. It’s a way of understanding life. With my kids, it’s just love,” Banderas said.
“I see them blossoming and becoming good people, and I’m so proud of them. The three of them — the one biological that is mine and the other two—they’re doing great. I got to say that Melanie was an unbelievable mother,” he added.
Life in Spain
Banderas first found success in Spain, thanks to his collaborations with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. His career eventually brought him to Hollywood, where he got his big break in The Mambo Kings and Philadelphia.
But after all these years, Banderas said he still feels more at home in Spain. “Those were beautiful, exciting years [in Los Angeles], but I always had this sense of provisionality, that it was not going to last my whole life. I knew I was not supposed to be in Malibu, but in Málaga,” he said.
“People live like they are not going to die. They collect things. I don’t want to collect anything. The only thing that I am interested in now is in the experience of living,” he added.