Antonio Banderas Video Interview On ‘The Skin I Live In’

Antonio Banderas, one of the biggest movie stars Spain has ever produced, reunites with the renowned director Pedro Almodovar for the first time since 1990’s Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! In the new film The Skin I live In. The film, which also stars Elena Anaya, is a gripping psychological thriller that is already attracting lots of award-season buzz, which is in no small part due to Banderas’ powerful performance. Banderas plays Robert Ledgard, an obsessive verging on psychopathic surgeon who develops artificial skin, which leads to numerous identity and gender crises.

Fortunately, Banderas and his character don’t have much in common. When asked if he ever succumbed to the dangers of obsession, Banderas responded, “No. Never to that degree, because I think, actually, the character is engulfed in psychopathy — something that is bigger than the issues of revenge. It may just be deceiving for certain audience members when they watch the movie. I think revenge would happen to his daughter is just no excuse. [It] triggers something that goes deeper and darker in his soul and has to do with that psychopathy.”

Almodovar, known for his work on Oscar-winning films like 2002’s Talk To Her, is known to be a demanding and meticulous director. Nonetheless, it seems to be worth it. “Eventually, it may be painful, but at the end, he resolved that things from you are totally different to what the people may expect. So he discovered in the actors spaces that not even [we] knew that we had, and that is always beautiful to have the possibility to just have access to those worlds,” remarks Banderas.

Hear more of what Banderas has to say in our exclusive interview.

And for more on Antonio Banderas:

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