Antonio Banderas's Zorro

Zorro has been around for years, but Antonio Banderas has made the role his.

The character of Zorro has been portrayed by such film legends as Douglas Fairbanks and Tyrone Power. However, Antonio Banderas has made the character of Zorro his own. The Spanish born Banderas is the only Latin actor of the three. His natural accent, as well as his dark looks, aid him well in filling the character's mask.

Antonio Banderas first played the role in 1998's The Mask of Zorro, with Anthony Hopkins playing the senior Zorro. The movie entertainingly shows the transformation of Banderas's character from thief to masked hero. Banderas demonstrates his charm in such scenes as when he is being taught how to sword fight. "The pointy end goes into the other man." Banderas humorously informs Hopkins, sarcastically assuring him that he knows how to use a sword.

He also demonstrated great chemistry with the movie's leading lady, Catherine Zeta Jones. They first meet in a church confessional with Zorro pretending to be a priest. "Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It has been three days since my last confession." She apologetically says. "Three days! How many sins could you have committed in three days? Come back when you have more time, please." He responds.

In 2004 Antonio Banderas revisited the role of Zorro in the form of Puss-in Boots in Shrek 2. In his first scene with Shrek, he throws back his cape, raises his sword and says, "Pray for mercy from Puss...in boots." He then scratches a "P" on a near by tree with his sword. It is, of course, an in joke reference to Zorro's "Z." Banderas will again voice the, Zorro acting, cat in Shrek 3, due out in 2007. It has also been announced that Puss-in-Boots may get his very own movie due in 2008.

In the mean time, the sequel to The Mask of Zorro, The Legend of Zorro, opens October 28th. Antonio Banderas returns, with Catherine Zeta Jones, as the now married couple with a ten year old son. In the trailer,a character says, "Zorro is a relic of the past." Zorro has been around for a long time. Fairbanks played him in, the silent film, The Mark of Zorro way back in 1920. Tyrone Power played Zorro in 1940. Guy Williams played Zorro in the 1957-1959 television show. A mature film version, The Erotic Adventures of Zorro was made in 1972. George Hamilton spoofed Zorro in 1981's Zorro, The Gay Blade. With Antonio Banderas's charming portrayal now added to the list, Zorro is a heroic character for all time.