It's safe to say he has cracked Hollywood, but Spanish hearthrob Antonio Banderas revealed that it's time to return to his roots and take his acting home to Spain.
"I'm desperate to find myself again and now want to start making movies in Spanish. It will be the first time since 1992 and I think it's long overdue," he said while giving a masterclass at the 2008 Circle Conference at the Shangri-La hotel, Abu Dhabi.
"In the mid 80s when I got to Madrid I met a group of very young and talented people. I was surrounded by Spanish art, musicians and painters and it was fantastic.
"But at that time movies in Spain had no depth so Hollywood was the way to go. People were only interested in watching and making American movies.
"Hollywood opened the door to a totally different way of movie making and I went for it. At first what I did was a hobby, then it became a profession and then it eventually became an extreme profession — without me even realising to some extent.
"But what I call ‘experimental' movies are getting harder and harder to pitch in Hollywood because of the risk, so I feel I need to return home and take a few ideas out of my chest and follow my heart."
After more than 15 years in America, Banderas, who was visiting Abu Dhabi with his wife Melanie Griffith, went on to explain he planned to reach his goal by opening his own small studio in Spain.
"As an actor you are hired to interpret the ideas of someone else — sometimes you identify and sometimes you don't. But as a director you become God in some ways as you can make the movie as you see fit. I am looking forward to the challenge."
Learning the lingo
Although Banderas is now in a position to go his own way, his career path was not always the easiest. As a native Spanish speaker Banderas only learned to speak English for the movies — something not even the directors knew.
"I really wasn't sure about the US, especially on my first visit as I couldn't speak any English and it scared me really. When I look back now I'm not really sure how I did it.
"Bascially for the whole of the movie The Mambo Kings, I didn't speak any English at all. I remember I had an interview with a director in New York and he talked and talked and talked and I didn't understand a word he was saying. I learnt one line which was ‘yes, sounds good'. I had a screen test and said the same thing over and over and gradually picked up a few new lines.
"But in many ways I believe not speaking English made life as an actor interesting as I had to really get to know my character from the inside. I was disconnected with the emotion at times which made acting easier."
It didn't take him long to win over the crowd as Banderas went on to stress his "tremendous respect" for Muslims and the Arab world.
"I believe it is the responsibility of film makers to help address prejudices in the media about religion and other cultures.
"First, it is a social and political issue. Once we understand that we can come together and live in peace and tolerance, it becomes about art, about telling stories."
lasting impact
Banderas, 48, said being born in an Andalusian town in southern Spain across from Morocco steeped in Moorish culture had a lasting impact on him. "The Arabs were in Spain for eight centuries, and that is a part of me."
Banderas, who has starred in such high-profile Hollywood films as Desperado, Interview with the Vampire, Philadelphia and The Mask of Zorro, explained he was now working on a historical film he hoped would illustrate the West's debt to Arab culture.
So according to Banderas what makes a successful film?
"It depends who's looking at it and from what angle. Success is measured in many different ways. But after years in Hollywood I believe it is easy to think that dollar signs are the way to measure success. I don't believe this is true."
And with a fan base of millions, how does he keep the women at bay?
"It's easy — I remind them that I'm nearly 50."
After wrapping up his discussion, Banderas who was due to present the Sasha Grant, a US$100,000 (Dh367,000) screenwriting prize endowed by conference organisers, but made a quick exit into a waiting car in the hotel entrance.
Instead, winner Hicham Ayouch, a 32-year-old Moroccan, was presented his award by James Gianopoulos, the chief executive officer and chairman of 20th Century Fox Films.
The Circle Conference is a three-day event showcasing regional film industry talent.
