[Video] Watch Antonio Banderas' Reaction When We Surprised Him With A Special Guest At The End Our Interview

Antonio Banders first joined the fractured fairy tale universe of Shrek in its 2004 sequel where he got to repurpose his Zorro persona as a sword-wielding ginger feline named Puss in Boots. After appearances in two more sequels, the fan-favourite tabby stepped out of the green ogre’s shadow to headline his own movie in 2011. Banderas turned up again in Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos, a 12-minute short bonus tagged to Puss in Boots’ DVD/Blu-ray release, before taking a break from his furry alter-ego; Eric Bauza stepped into Puss’ boots in Netflix’s animated series that ran from 2015 to 2018.

Cut to the present: the OG Puss is back!

In Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Shrek’s former sidekick confronts his own mortality after realising that he has died eight times already and he has one life left! To restore those lives, P teams up with one-time partner and nemesis Kitty Softpawns (Salma Hayek Pinault) and relentlessly chatty and ebullient mutt Perrito (Harvey Guillen, aka Guillermo in What We Do in the Shadows) to recover the mythical Wishing Star in the Black Forest.

The journey is fraught with danger as Puss & Co. are being pursued by Goldi (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears Crime Family (Oliva Colman as Momma Bear, Ray Winstone as Papa Bear, and Samason Kayo as Baby Bear), underworld boss Jack Horner (John Mulaney) and bounty hunter Wolf (Narcos’ Wagner Moura).

Over the years, Banderas, 62, said he found it surreal to meet people who grew up watching Puss. “I have had interviews from all around the world and thought, ‘Wow, When that person saw Shrek 2, they were seven, eight years old,” said Banderas in the production notes. “Now, they are interviewing me about this character they saw years ago, and now they are 28 or 29. It’s beautiful that younger people have grown up with this character that produced such a strong impact in their lives. It seems like the time to pick up Puss and throw him back to the biggest screen, the place where he belongs.”

Below, 8days.sg connects with Banderas, 62, from Madrid via Zoom, where he talks about voicing Puss again, the possibility of returning as Zorro (a few days after our chat he revealed that he wanted Tom Holland to take over the masked vigilante mantle), and his upcoming role in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We also throw in something extra at the end of our four-minute chat — something that’s nearly impossible to do in person — to cheer him up after a long day of interviews. 

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish opens in cinemas on Dec 8; sneaks on Dec 3. Watch exclusive 8 DAYS interviews on meWATCH and Mediacorp YouTube Channel.

Photos: TPG News/Click Photos