Click on the photos for larger versions caption: Antonio strolling through Hyde Park in London as he chatted to us. "I know I've closed a chapter and now I have to take a quieter look at the future," he told us. "lt's time to stop and think. Reflect"

Hello!, November 25, 1995

ANTONIO BANDERAS

SPEAKING FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT THE PAINFUL TURN HIS DIVORCE HAS TAKEN AFTER HIS WIFE ANA LEZA ACCUSSED HIM OF ILL-TREATMENT

"I've never mistreated her because I've never mistreated anybody. Everyone who knows me knows that. I understand that she might be feeling bad about what's happened.

But when it's all over, I'd like her to know that she'll always have a friend in me."

He seems to be the man with the Midas touch at the moment. He's making films with the likes of Mia Farrow, Sylvester Stallone and Madonna, he's the first Spanish actor to make it really big in Hollywood, and Melanie Griffith is in love with him.

All in all, it's been a big year for Antonio Banderas - first known for his performances in Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's films - both professionally and personally. He's been consolidating his position as an up and-coming star, and he also met Melanie Griffith on the set of Two Much. They're now living together with Melanie's two children in Los Angeles.

But there is one area of Antonio's life which is not on an upswing, as he is going through the painful process of a divorce from his wife Ana Leza, to whom he was married for eight years.

Any divorce is painful; this one is threatening to turn unpleasant. Spanish-born Ana, who is now also living in the States, has filed claims with a Los Angeles court accusing Antonio of abusing her and of trying to buy her off with a quick settlement of just 160,000 pounds.

In the documents, in which Ana applies for legal separation, support and restraining orders against her husband, she says that she flew to the States when she found out about his involvement with Melanie to try and save the marriage.

They had a secret meeting last March at the house he'd rented in Seattle while filming Assassins with Sylvester Stallone, she said.

'I begged him to come back with me to Madrid, to the home we had just completed," the claims say. "He told me that he wanted to buy me off. He appeared to be in a trance and said that his mistress would come to explain things to me. I objected and told him of my fears for his career and security. He took me by the collar of my blouse and shook me and threw me on the bed.

"He threatened to bring his mistress publicly to our new home in Madrid, the home where we had planned to raise our children," continues Ana in the document. 'His anger at me when I attempted to talk to him about our relationship and what he was getting into frightened me and now I'm afraid that he'll carry out his threats."

Ana also claimed that she'd sacrificed her own career as an actress to help Antonio further his, and that she'd worked as his agent and taught him English, which she speaks fluently. According to her account, Antonio is trying to conceal how much he's really worth by putting money into different companies. She is claiming support to the tune of 200,000 pounds a year, payment of the legal costs, and the homes the couple shared in Spain and New York.

We caught up with the actor just as he was due for a hard-earned break between films, and in this interview he talks about his wife's accusations, and the new stage he's entering in his life.

How are you feeling, Antonio?
"Fine. A bit tired, because I've been working really hard for a long time, but that's OK because I'm getting the results and that's what matters.

"Now it's all over; filming, dubbing, promotions and recordings. I'm going to have at least a few days' rest, and it's time to stop and think. Time to reflect. I know I've closed a chapter and it's all turned out great, almost tailor-made, but now I have to take a quieter look at the future."

What are you going to do first?
"Go back to our Los Angeles home and rest. Melanie's children need to spend time with other children and I need to stay away from hotels for a while!"

Are you happy with your latest work?
"With Desperado, very happy. Assassins is coming out in lots of countries at the moment; it got a very good reception in the United States and is drawing a lot of people. But of all of them, and for different reasons, the one I like best is Two Much"

You say it's time to sit back and think, and that you've closed a chapter in your Life. What are you going to be thinking about?
'What's happened to me this year has been very big, on the personal as well as the professional level. I've got a new companion, now I've got a new family and two stepchildren. I'm living in a different country and my status as an actor has grown tremendously in the States. Life has given me a lot and I feel as though I'm in debt"

Don't you think you deserve it?
"I don't know, I'm not too sure about that, because there are some excellent actors out there working but they're not getting ahead."

And on the personal level?
"With love, you never choose; situations take you over, it's not that you do or don't deserve it, you meet someone who loves you and you fall in love. That's how it is, it's physical, it's chemistry. Then comes the next part, caring for the relationship so that it stays healthy, and that does have something to do with will and day-to-day life."

Recently everything you've touched has turned to gold - why do you think that is?
"I don't know. Maybe people see me as someone who's fulfilled his dreams, without help or hand-outs, just starting from scratch. "I haven't forgotten that I arrived in Madrid from Malaga with a practically empty suitcase and four pennies in my pocket. Within two days, I didn't even have money to eat, and people know that. So perhaps I've become a reference point; like when I was a kid and Juanito (the late Spanish football [soccer] player) made it big with the Real Madrid football [soccer] team, I was proud because he came from Malaga. It must be something like that with me.

"And you know something? I know the secret of success: there's always hard work and sacrifice, behind it."

'Of course, talent too, because you have to have certain qualities. But the day-to-day element is very important; doing everything, no matter how small it is, as best you can, using your potential to the full That's what puts you on top."

You also have a childlike aspect which is very appealing.
It's true. I'm still a little boy. I think an artist is a child who's finally decided not to grow up, but to carry on being a child, to carry on playing and not accept the roles imposed by life.

I take life seriously but I've decided not to lose my ability to play and to see life as a game, something to play with, which is what makes us human, really."

Aren't you afraid of becoming, like other actors, a kind of businese empire, only concerned about making money?
"I know that other actors do almost turn into business executives, but that will never happen to me, I can assure you."

And you're not afraid of becoming cold and aloof, like other big stars?
"No, I'll die a wrinkly old man over in Spain."

Antonio, in the reporting of your divorce procedures, it's been said that your wife Ana wants a big share of your wealth and that you abused her and ruined her life.
"I wish Ana all the best, and I don't think I've ruined her life. Our lawyers are dealing with everything that relates to the divorce and of course I'll respect whatever the judge decides. I don't have much else to say, except that I've never mistreated her because I've never mistreated anybody. Everyone who knows me knows that, and although I understand that she might be feeling bad about what's happened, when it's all over, I'd like her to know that she'll always have a friend in me."

What about what she's asking for?
'The money isn't important. I've spent 20 years working, I've got 40-something films behind me, and I'm going to carry on working. A current account, no matter how hefty it is, doesn't make you any happier and it doesn't compensate for anything. The important thing is to feel at peace with yourself, be able to sleep peacefully and face yourself in the mirror each morning. I believe we all have to live with our consciences."

Is there anything you can say to clarify the divorce agreements, at least to clear up the misunderstandings?
"My lawyers have advised me not to make any kind of declarations over the specific terms of the divorce. It is very painful and sad for me, and it's something that all seems to come down to money.

"I prefer to keep the good memories from that part of my life. I don't regret anything because it's all formed part of my life and I've always done what my heart told me to, honestly and sincerely.

"If I'm responsible for anything, it's for having faced the truth, kept faith with the truth. It would have been very easy for me to have kept up a showcase marriage, but I couldn't lie, it would scare me, and I'll never reach the point where I can't recognize myself."

Are you planning to live in Los Angeles for good?
"No. Melanie and I are thinking about going to live somewhere else, maybe Miami. We're still not sure. What is for sure is that I'll have to be in the States most of the time, at least for the next few years. I'll keep my house in Madrid to visit from time to time. What we've got in Los Angeles is a rented house, which we could buy but we haven't decided. We want a proper home and we're not sure if Los Angeles is the right place for that."

Last time you were in Spain, with Melanie, you upset people by saying you'd been too naive and now you were going to close your doors against the world.
I don't think anyone should be upset by what I said; it was a perfectly logical reaction. It was a question of our physical and mental well-being, because what I can't do is spend all day with 20 people on my back wanting to take pictures of me.

"On the other hand, there were people who interpreted my visit to Spain with Melanie as a showing-off exercise. That insulted me profoundly. I didn't call the press, I treated people well and 1'll continue to do so, but I wasn't showing off or anything like that"

So you learnt a lesson from that?
Yes, I learnt not to be so naive, to be more cautious."

Maybe you don't realize just what effect it has on people if a famous couple like you and Melanie go for a walk round a small city like Segovia.
If I used to go to Segovia for lunch, why shouldn't I go with Melanie? She's just a normal woman. The thing is that in Spain we have a bit of an inferiority complex, especially when it comes to anything from outside."

It's also the fact that you're probably the first Spanish actor to make it big in the States.
'I've said it before and I'11 say it again: the fact that I've been a success in the States doesn't make me better or worse than anybody else. The fact that I work in Hollywood is circumstantial. It's something I'll do for a certain period of my life, but I feel profoundly Spanish, and I wouldn't like to come back to my country and have people treat me like a foreigner.

Anyway, I'm sure a lot of the actors I admire in Spain could achieve the same as I have just by putting their minds to it. There is certainly no lack of talent

Antonio, when you began your relationship with Melanie, everyone said it was a flash in the pan, yet you've already been together almost a year. Does time put things in perspective?
"Time clarifies things. When I fell in love with Melanie, a lot of people accused us of lying, of using each other as a giant promotional campaign. People saw us both as very strange, like circus freaks, and they didn't believe us. They said she'd go back to drinking and to her ex-husband, and that I was just promoting myself.

Those months were very difficult for us. People who didn't even know us judged us, used the press to publicize their nasty comments and made us suffer.

And now, as you say, time has passed and I have a loving home with Melanie and her children and I'm continuing with my work and I'm happy with them and the situation.

'I only hope that those who insulted us so mercilessly use the same media to apologize, because I've never kept the truth from anyone who's asked me for it, but they never took the trouble to ask."

How do you feel with your new family?
"Fine. Melanie has given me a lot of serenity. I've learnt a lot from her and from the responsibility of having two children around. They're two great kids I love very much and I try to make them feel happy being with me.

Not many people can imagine how much I need a home, a place where my things are, where my things are, where my companion and children are. I've been going from one place to the next for a long time and I need to know that I can come always come home back to where my little world is."

But it must be difficult finding yourself in a totally new family situation all of a sudden.
"On the outside, it may seem a shock, but on the inside, it's all happened completely naturally. The person I love comes with children and it's very easy to love them, believe me. It's the easiest thing in the world. Then Melanie's an incredible mother, she's always there for them and for me."

There were reports all over the place that you and Melanie were expecting a child. What do you have to say about that
It's a lie that Melanie and I are expecting a baby. And those that lie a lot are in danger of being called liars."

But would you like to have children?
Yes, we would and we're going to. It's very possible we'll be parents next year, but we're not sure when."

How have the Americans reacted to the latest film prodigy carrying off one of their girls?
There was a bit of everything at first, some really heavy things were said, but now I think they respect us and that's all we ask."

And in Spain? There's been a lot of scandal over it.
I can't understand why people find it so hard to accept our relationship. If I've done it and I can live harmoniously with Melanie and she can with me, why is it that other people have a problem with it, or sometimes even with seeing us together? It's something I just can't understand."

In January, you start filming Evita with Madonna and you've been recording the soundtrack with her. Tell us about that.
'I made a big effort recording the Evita soundtrack.

Singing with Madonna is a challenge, a great responsibility and the film is going to create a lot of expectations, to say the least."

Will you end up being a singer?
Well, at the moment I'm happy to be an actor who can sing well. But I have to admit that I do like music a lot. I'm self-taught, really; I play the piano and the guitar too.'

How did you get on with Madonna? Has she forgotten that you turned her down a few years ago? 'That was like a joke, neither of us ever paid it much attention. I have a very good, pleasant relationship with her. She's a very professional artist and that makes everything easy.'

Do you think a woman with so much personality suits the role of Eva Peron?
"I think she's going to do it very well. I'm not going to give anything away now, but she has a wonderful voice and that mixture of tenderness and strength which I think Eva Peron must have had."

There were reports that there was some tension because Melanie was jealous of Madonna
'That's not true either, it's ridiculous. In any case, I'm incapable of double-dealing or lying, and Melanie knows that better than anyone."

When do you start filming?
'In January. We'll be filming in Europe, and I hope in Argentina too. The interiors will be done in Los Angeles.'

And after that?
"After that, my friend Robert Rodriguez is waiting for me to do El Zorro, which was one of my favourites when I was a kid. Spielberg's going to produce it"

What do you learn working alongside actors like Sylvester Stallone or Mia Farrow?
I have worked with the great Spanish actors and I'm not one to be overwhelmed by a myth. Although it does give you something to talk about in bars when people ask you that!"

There is an idea that the actors who really make it in Hollywood have to pay a price, and sometimes it's a high one.

"Not in my case; I've always been very well treated and my work's been respected. Nobody's manipulated me. The only thing that's not forgiven is if you don't sell, but if your work helps fill cinemas, you've got it made."

What are your plans for the future?
To do my work well. To be able to carry on doing interesting films. To create my own film projects. As a person I want to carry on being this happy with Melanie, and to have joy and affection in our home always. To have children. And in the future I'd also like to have time to help children through UNICEF.'

Is Antonio Banderas a happy man?
Happiness is a breeze that only touches you once in a while. I prefer stability and other things which yes, I do have now."

INTERVIEW: EVA Celada
PHOTOS: JOSE LUIS YUSTE