Antonio Banderas Reflects on Profound Life Changes Following Near-Fatal Heart Attack
Hollywood star Antonio Banderas has opened up about the dramatic life shift he experienced nine years after suffering a near-fatal heart attack. In 2017, the then 58-year-old actor was urgently hospitalised after experiencing chest pains during exercise, which doctors later confirmed was a heart attack. Now aged 65, Banderas describes this health crisis as "the really serious warning" that prompted a complete overhaul of his lifestyle and priorities.
Radical Health and Lifestyle Overhaul
Following his cardiac emergency, Banderas implemented significant changes to improve his wellbeing. He quit smoking entirely and embarked on a comprehensive health regimen. The actor made substantial material changes as well, selling his luxurious Surrey mansion in the United Kingdom along with his American residence and private jet. This downsizing allowed him to return to his birthplace of Malaga, Spain, where he now resides in a city centre apartment with his partner Nicole Kimpel, 43.
Career Epiphany and Theatre Focus
The relocation was driven by what Banderas calls a career epiphany. "Faced with death, it made me look back and realise that I am, in fact, a theatre actor," he explained. Consequently, his Hollywood film career, which has generated an impressive $77 billion at the global box office, has significantly slowed. Instead, Banderas concentrates on his Teatro del Soho theatre company in Malaga. This not-for-profit venue receives €200,000 annually from Banderas' personal funds alongside corporate sponsorship, with occasional Hollywood roles helping to finance his simplified new lifestyle.
Building Teatro del Soho
Banderas detailed the origins of his theatre venture, recalling his Broadway success in 2003 with Nine, which earned a Tony Award. "There were lots of musicals I wanted to put on at a time when there were no musicals in Spain," he stated. When the opportunity arose to purchase a dilapidated former cinema filled with asbestos, Banderas cleared and rebuilt the space within its original shell, creating the theatre that now stands.
Embracing Local Life and Family Milestones
Now integrated into Malaga's community, where locals affectionately call him "José Hollywood," Banderas told The Times this week: "I have never been so happy," despite acknowledging financial losses from what he describes as a "vice to which I am addicted." Family remains central to his contentment. Last year, he experienced one of his "most beautiful moments" when his daughter Stella, 29, married longtime partner Alex Gruszynski at the enchanting Retuerta Le Domaine Abbey in Valladolid, Spain.
Shortly before the wedding, Banderas shared with Hola magazine: "Seeing my daughter dressed as a bride will be one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I get to be the father of the bride, and it's a role I take on with all the emotion in the world." He expressed particular pride that Stella, who was born in Spain but raised in Los Angeles, chose her birth country for her nuptials. "She's very Andalusian, very much from Málaga, even if she grew up in the US. This is her way of reconnecting with her roots and sharing her homeland with her future husband and his family," Banderas explained. Stella herself felt fortunate to marry in Spain, saying she "felt so lucky."
