Video (and written) Interview: Antonio Banderas & Salma Hayek talk PUSS IN BOOTS on the red carpet

Video (and written) Interview: Antonio Banderas & Salma Hayek talk PUSS IN BOOTS on the red carpet

Okay, to gear up for this weekend’s release of PUSS IN BOOTS, I’m very proud to present a short but sweet interview with two Hollywood favorites – Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. You can check out the video from the red carpet below, followed by a nicely written report by our own Gary Murray, with even more “fans want to know” questions in it. I’ve always enjoyed the work of Banderas, particularly in THE MASK OF ZORRO, in which he did a brilliant job of updating the classic silver screen hero. He’s also got THE SKIN I’M IN out in select theaters, which reteams him with director Pedro Almodovar… the man who helped him get started in films. Then there’s Salma Hayek, who I’ve admittedly had a crush on since DESPERADO… an undeniable crush that risks driving my journalistic integrity to embarssing depths of horror. But somehow I managed to maintain composure with the PUSS IN BOOTS stars during their recent red carpet premiere in Grapevine, TX – at the fantastic AMC Grapevine Theater. The SHREK spinoff movie looks rather fun, and it’s an ever-so-appropriate way for the two frequent co-stars to reunite (their sixth film together). Check out the interview video below, shot very patiently by Rachel Parker of DFWLive.org (thanks Rachel!), and go see PUSS IN BOOTS this weekend.

PUSS IN BOOTS opens October 28, 2011

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PUSS IN BOOTS red carpet report by Gary Murray

Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek look like Hollywood royalty. He was wearing a conservative dark suit and she was decked out in a dark beaded dress, flowing yet glamorous. The smiles of the two blinded with each flash of a camera bulb. For them, it was just another red carpet, something that they had done in Tinsel Town for a number of years. But they were not in the cinema home field but hundreds of miles away.

Both were in the Dallas area to promote their newest film, the animated adventure Puss in Boots. The DreamWorks film is of a secondary character from the Shrek franchise, an adorable cat with a fancy pair of boots and a wicked sword. Banderas voices the title character, a cat with a price on his head trying to win back the accolades of being a hero. Hayek is the voice of Kitty Softpaws, a master thief who has several run-ins with the hero of the piece. The two were joyful to be promoting this new film from the studio that gave the world all of the Shrek films and How to Train Your Dragon.

This stand-alone adventure is the story of Puss in Boots and his estranged ‘brother’ Humpty Dumpty and their quest to get magic beans that will lead them to the goose that lays the golden eggs. Along the way there is romance, adventure and cats upon cats upon cats. It is a very family friendly animated piece that should appeal to children of all ages.

As the two strolled down the red carpet to the waiting questions for reporters, I was able to momentarily talk to these two stars. I asked Antonio when he first received the script for Shrek did he envision the phenomena. He shook his head and said, “The thing is that Puss in Boots was a character for the first film. I loved it and I thought it was an amazing new turn for animation movies. It was a film for both kids and adults. I was raised with those fairy tails and seeing them from a totally different angle, I loved it. I said ‘yes’ almost unconditionally. I never thought that the character was going to get this far (with his solo feature)”

“Is it going to be a series?” I asked.

“That,” he answered is going to be up to the audience.”

With Salma I wanted to know what advice she would give to an actress coming up in Hollywood. “It is so hard to know what it is that you did that actually helped you get there. It is almost like a bunch of little things that are happening simultaneously. Luck has a lot to do with it. But the one thing I can say not just for actresses but for everyone is try to prepare yourself. I was so privileged to study with Stella Adler when she was in her 90’s. I got to study under her with Benicio Del Toro and Mark Ruffalo–they were in my class. I think you must prepare yourself because you are going to need everything you can to go through the process.”

They were both excited about making a film that their kids could enjoy. Antonio said, “My kids are older and I still feel that the film is for them. That is the cool thing about this movie it is not just for little kids. It appeals to kids of all ages.”

Salma finished the thought by adding, “My daughter is so proud. We were walking into the hotel today and someone had pictures from the movie. She said, ‘That’s my mommy!’ That is the first time she has been so proud of my work.”

The two were in Chicago the day before and going to San Francisco the following morning. They have been so many places promoting the film but are still fans of the work. Antonio said, “This character is not only an action star but a comedian. It is an unbelievable pleasure to sit down with the audience and hear them cheering and laughing. Especially when the kids are doing that, believe me, it pays off.”

Salma added, “I love my character. If you would have asked me, I never would have thought I would have been a cat.”

On doing more Zorro films, Antonio laughed and said “I’m getting too old to do any more Zorro. I hope that the people make us do more movies with Puss. There are tremendous possibilities with making movies like this. The tendency is to work less but work better.”

And just for fun, here’s another shot of Antonio and Salma on the red carpet, having fun… big thanks to the fine folks at Levinson & Hill for making this possible. All photos by Rachel Parker.

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.