Antonio Banderas has refuted media reports suggesting he is on the verge of financial ruin due to losses from a theater company he operates in his hometown of Malaga, Spain. The 65-year-old actor, best known for his role in The Mask of Zorro, leased a historic theater in the city in 2017, which now houses his production company, Teatro del Soho CaixaBank.
Recent Spanish reports, including those from celebrity magazine Cuore, claimed that Banderas is facing financial difficulties after the theater incurred losses of approximately €2.5 million annually. However, in a statement posted on social media, Banderas clarified that he has always intended to run the theater at a loss as a means of supporting the local arts scene.
Banderas Responds to Claims
In a Spanish-language post translated into English, Banderas wrote: "It pains me to have to give, once again, explanations that I've repeated, over and over, about my goals in my theatrical projects. The ruin of which I'm made a victim in certain media doesn't exist. I feel sorry for those who might find some pleasure in it being so."
He continued: "The Teatro del Soho CaixaBank project is one where I set just one goal for myself: to do things as I believe they should be done and strive for excellence in our productions, beyond the economic deficits they may bring—and which, thank God, I can assume without any problem. That's the pact with my passion for theater, for my city, and with myself. If I'd wanted to make money, it would have been very easy. But I've preferred to create big productions, where I've given work to hundreds of people, and I've enjoyed it like I hadn't in my entire career."
Theater and Productions
Teatro del Soho CaixaBank serves both as a physical venue in Malaga and a production company. It has hosted performances from Broadway icon Patti LuPone, and Banderas has personally directed recent productions of musicals such as Gypsy and Godspell.
Banderas added: "The news is that I'm going to keep doing it. I've said it in press conferences and in different interviews countless times. The Teatro del Soho CaixaBank is a private nonprofit company that operates more like a public theater. That means the project doesn't receive public funding subsidies and won't as long as I'm alive. I cover the expenses from undertaking hugely expensive projects that you'll hardly see in companies that have to present financial results."
He expressed gratitude to sponsors and noted that last year, the theater brought in nearly 200,000 spectators, including a production in Madrid. Concluding his statement, Banderas said: "No, my friends, I'm not ruined—I'm at full throttle! And I'm threateningly happy! Hasta la vista babies."
Banderas will next appear in the A24 biopic Tony, where he plays the mentor of a young Anthony Bourdain.
