Entertainment | Celebrity
The art of seduction
Antonio Banderas' new fragrance encapsulates the steamy Hollywood star- it's warm, with depth and no regrets
- By Kelly Crane Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 November 22, 2009
- Image Credit: Supplied
- Antonio Banderas
Google Antonio Banderas and you'll be flooded with pictures of a seductive man in a dark suit.
Find a way to bottle everything those images exude and you'd be rich — something scent-happy perfume experts at world renowned Puig didn't waste any time doing.
Seduction in Black is the latest fragrance from Banderas and is basically the Andalusian actor in a bottle.
tabloid! caught up with the steamy Spaniard days before his new scent hit shelves across the UAE.
"I think the name says it all," Banderas said. "Seduction in Black is the daring version of Blue Seduction, my previous scent."
True to form, Banderas, who is known for his flirtatious charm, went straight for the sensual sell.
Intimate and sensual
"Try to imagine Blue Seduction — which is fresh and sexy — moving into the night," he said. "This is when Seduction in Black appears. It's still informal like Blue, but it is very intimate and sensual."
Having worked alongside Hollywood greats including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Madonna and more, it's no surprise Banderas is known and praised for his contribution to the acting world — but most would not have him down for a perfume man. Something which couldn't be more wrong. Just a quick online enquiry throws up endless pages of in-depth reading about Banderas' fascination with scents from as early as 1997.
There are fragrances for men and women: in addition to the aforementioned Blue Seduction, there is Spirit and Diavolo and Antonio and Mediterraneo for men only.
"Working with fragrance is an interesting experience. When I first began with Diavolo I couldn't imagine how incredible and complex the creative process is.
"It's teamwork from the beginning and in all these years working with Puig and their perfumists I've learned a lot about creating perfumes. It is an art form.
"But I'm still amazed when I see how good they are in taking a concept, in my case ‘seduction', and creating various aromas based on this one main theme."
Warm with fiery, strong masculine tones, Seduction in Black is Antonio all over — warm, with depth and no regrets.
"I wouldn't change a thing in my life," Banderas said. "I am content with the steps I took and at the moment that I took them. I don't believe in life as an act of perfection but as a path filled with turns, obstacles and choices. Whatever I did positions me where I am now and I welcome it with open arms."
Banderas, who lost his father last year, said: "I am a great believer in my roots, where I come from, who my friends are [and] cultural background, so I respect and nourish that as a big possession. It is treasure."
Be it Evita or The Mask of Zorro, Banderas still captures his audience. But it's not only Banderas the perfumer who took me by surprise.
"I love astronomy," he said when asked to name something not many people know about him. "It allows me and pushes me to understand the relativity of life. Nobody really knows about my interest of the universe and all its mysteries. Mysteries with which I learn to live comfortably."
A lifetime in Hollywood, a marriage to actress Melanie Griffith, starring roles in world-renowned flicks: Banderas said the memories are plenty and almost too many to remember. But one night he will never forget was Oscar night, 1994.
"After the ceremony I remember being seated at the table with Steven Spielberg, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and my wife," he said.
"Across the drinks and several Oscar trophies on the table Spielberg proposed I take on the role of Zorro. I remember that night as a magical evening."
His most memorable role for many will always be him giving life to Puss in Boots in the Shrek films.
"I have been lucky enough to do so many fun things. Hollywood is not only one thing but many — there is a fascinating Hollywood, a shining Hollywood, a cruel Hollywood, an unfair Hollywood, a rewarding Hollywood. There are as many Hollywoods as there are definitions of life."
Banderas urges people to share the love when it comes to Seduction in Black.
"Diavolo will always be the most memorable fragrance launch because it was the first, but I always have a special affection for the latest fragrance to be released because it's the newest and needs the most care," he said.
"Right now, Seduction in Black is like the baby of the family getting all the love and attention."
Banderas' favourite movies
Antonio Banderas is best known to some as the swashbuckling Zorro, to others as the gun-toting El Mariachi in Desperado, while for others he'll always be the voice of Shrek's furry friend, Puss in Boots (who's set to get his own spin-off film in 2012). Banderas named some of the films he wouldn't miss.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
"I love the scope of this movie; there is something in David Lean I like very much. He's always of the macro worlds and the micro worlds; he didn't only do it in Lawrence of Arabia, but repeated it in Dr Zhivago and other movies. In Lawrence of Arabia he made a movie with enormous scope. He gets into the soul of a man through this spectacular movie and this union of these two worlds."
8 1/2 (1963)
"This is one of my favourite movies. Why? Well, I think it's an act of freedom, the entire movie. They didn't have a script. In 1962, which is the year when the movie was shot, I thought it was unbelievable somebody would just go into an experiment like that. It's still a very experimental movie, very emotional in a way. I like what he says about the human spirit and creation; in a way, [the] crisis of a man confronting life, his past, his present and his future in a very formal way."
Bad career move
Antonio Banderas may have cracked Hollywood, but it hasn't always been smooth sailing and he has had to learn to take the rough with the smooth.
Banderas, Heather Graham and John Travolta have been named as some of the stars of the worst films of all time in a bottom 100 movie list.
Worse than that, Banderas was given the top spot, courtesy of the public film critic website Rotten Tomatoes, for his role in Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever (right), also starring Lucy Liu. The film tells the story of an FBI agent who joins forces with a rogue to defeat a mutual enemy.
Reviews at the time, including one by The Washington Post, described the 2002 film as "a movie every bit as stupid as its exceedingly stupid title".
Other films featured in the list were One Missed Call, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 and National Lampoon's Gold Diggers.
Maybe that's why Banderas got into the perfume business.
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