The Antonio Banderas Web Mall New Family

A NEW FAMILY, NEW HOMES

Red Block: top image, The family go boating during Antonio's sojourn in Argentina to film Evita;
left image, The Madrid breakdown in summer 1996 when Antonio filled the tank with the wrong fuel;
right image, an early picture of the family at an airport.

Yellow Block: top image, It was actually Alexander's birthday August 1996, but Dakota grabbed the attention in her beautiful white dress when the family went to a seafood restaurant in Marbella to celebrate -- Antonio is throwing kisses to the locals who cheered them;
left image, Antonio was receiving an honor at the Museum of Fine Arts of Malaga, but Dakota looks like she is dying from boredom so Antonio bends down to the child's ear perhaps to tell her a joke, perhaps merely to translate the speaker;
right image, the family at the L.A. premiere of Evita December, 1996.

Blue Block: top image, Antonio once said his daughter would be a wanderer like himself and her early life has proven him correct. Antonio and Melanie sightseeing in Mexico, November 1996 with Stella;
left image, Antonio proudly holds his little daughter so she can see and be seen in Rome, December, 1996 as the second rainbow tour continued. The stance was in sharp contrast to Madonna's hiding Lourdes under covers on the same tour. I consider it to indicate very differing views toward child-rearing ;
right image, Melanie holds Stella while Antonio is in his Zorro mask.

Preparation for Fatherhood

Top two photos: Early photos of Antonio and Mel with her children in Puerto Rico while Antonio was filming Assassins.

Bottom left: Antonio with Javier, his nephew and godchild.

Bottom right, While filming a pantyhose commercial in Tuscany, Italy, Antonio reaches over to feel the kick of his unborn daughter.

One thing that never fit the media's spin on Antonio's and Melanie's relationship as a hot affair quickly to burn out was Antonio's close relationship with Melanie's children. It apparently did not take long for mutual affection to develop between Alexander and Dakota on one hand and their mother's new beau on the other. As Melanie described the situation to Ladies Home Journal: "They were tough on him, but they pretty much loved him right away. For being so macho, he's a kindhearted person."

Little publicized was the fact that the children accompanied Melanie with Antonio to Puerto Rico while he was filming Assassins. By October, 1995, Antonio was ready to be entrusted as sole guardian of Alexander in London. (Alex preceded Melanie who was still filming Lolita in North Carolina). Alex and Antonio were seen at Harrod's buying toys. Tan Solo un Actor said that the temporary guardian was planning to take Alex roller skating at Hyde Park. Melanie said of this period of male bonding: "Antonio spent nine days, taking him on all the double-decker buses and to all the museums. It meant so much to Alexander." [LHJ, Sept. 96] The Christmas holiday, 1995 saw not only the children but Melanie's mother Tippie Hedren and even her father Peter Griffith celebrating the holidays in Spain with Antonio's family. Ana Bandera was later to say that she considered Melanie's children as her own grandchildren.

Antonio had always been crazy about kids. He is the godfather of his brother Chico's three-year old child, Javier
(a second son was born to Chico's wife on May 2, 1996) . While married to Ana Leza, he spoke of their having two children, one of their own and another adopted perhaps from a Third World country such as Somalia. But other priorities got in their way and children were postponed. Another aspect that interfered with the prospect for a family life was his lack of roots. His life was that of a gypsy. When with Ana, he said he didn't want to put a child through that. But he has obviously changed his mind about this as his young daughter is quite the world traveler. "Our child will be a wanderer just like we are," Antonio said at the Miami press conference to promote Two Much.

Antonio's love for Melanie's kids was already apparent in November, 1995 interview with Hello! . When he fell in love with Melanie he had a ready-made family -- Melanie's daughter Dakota Mayi Johnson (born October 1989, father -- Don Johnson) and son Alexander Bauer (born late August, 1985, father - Steven Bauer. While Antonio still has to travel a lot, he has set up roots in both the house he purchased from Michelle Pfeiffer in Brentwood
(Los Angeles) and in Spain, a lovely house in the Monteros section of Marbella which he is renting while in negotiations for purchase.

From GQ: We talk about Alexander, 10, and Dakota, 6-Melanie's kids, whose difficulties during the latest breakup of their mother's marriage were greatly assuaged by their affection for Banderas. "It was hard at the beginning," Antonio: "We had to talk--mostly with Alexander. He's more conscious about everything that is happening. So I really talked to him. I said, 'We have to put all the ghosts that you have inside on the table. Tell me exactly what you think, and don't think I'm gonna get mad at you. I want to try to understand everything that's happening in your mind. Because I've been a kid, too, and I know how painful it is sometimes.' And now it's gorgeous when I'm sitting down here and he jumps on me and puts his head here" on his shoulder. "He looks for me, he counts on me, and he calls me and says, 'Antonio, I need you.' Awww," Banderas moans, "I love that."

And Alexander even looks after Antonio sometimes.

When Banderas is mangling some American expression and Dakota complains, "I didn't understand a word!" Alexander says, "Don't say that. He's from Spain--he's trying ! " Melanie locates some recent photographs of them frolicking on the beach-Antonio in red trunks and a bandanna, with the kids, building castles in the sand. [GQ -1995]

AND THEN CAME STELLA
September 25,1995

Little Stella was no accident. Antonio in November, 1995 spoke to Hello! about the possibility of having a child the next year. Melanie confirmed in InStyle that the baby was planned. She had even told her children that she and Antonio were going to "try" to make a baby.

How important was it for you to marry Melanie and have a child?
Antonio: "First we decided that our love was real and permanent, and then we said there should be nothing to stop us from making a family together. Having a child is incredible and I can't explain how much love I feel for her and Melanie. Estella del Carmen is a beautiful baby. Being a father is something every man needs to experience, and it has brought Melanie and I even closer."[OK]

Antonio: "The birth and everything else, it was fun. It was like a party; it was beautiful." [Entertainment Tonight]

It might sound like Antonio is trivializing the pain of childbirth, but Melanie's sentiments were similar:
"Antonio wanted to have a baby just like everyone else, so we did," she says. "I was laughing when I was pushing, and he was just in awe. And when he came over holding this tiny baby, it was probably the most beautiful moment of my life." [LHJ]

Does Stella have a dad that changes her diapers, gives her a bath, and feeds her?
Antonio: I do all those things. Yes, I do. I share those responsibilities with Melanie obviously. [Entertainment Tonight - Dec., 1996]-

Would you allow your child to become an actor?
Antonio: Of course, I mean I will be there for my daughter. What I wanted for her is just to be free and to be healthy. And she was born in a free country and she's healthy. And now she has to decide what she wants to be. I'll be there just in case she falls down just, I'll pick her up, but I don't want to drive her in any direction. I think that's wrong, because it's like you're trying to fulfill your expectancy in life through your daughter and that's not fair. I think she has to have the opportunity to crush [crash] and to have many hits from life and learn in that way. But I'll be there always, that's for sure. [CBS This Morning]

Banderas recalls the moment he first spied his daughter's head, her neck wrapped thrice with her umbilical chord. His voice drops to its lowest setting.
"The first feeling I had was one I've never had for anyone, not for my family or wife or girlfriend or brother. I knew immediately that I could kill for someone, and that was my baby. It was automatic. I still have that feeling in my mouth. I think every father in the world can feel as I felt." [USA Today]

-How about your fatherhood?
Antonio:-It's been great for me. The girl is beautiful, healthy and has born in a free country, and those are the most important things for me. There are two more kids in the family, Melanie's children, and I also consider myself their father because they live with me, so I'm the responsible for them and their education. We all form a family, and we want to live as such. [Man (Spanish magazine)]

There has been much speculation in 1997 about Melanie being pregnant again. This gossip has been denied by Antonio. However, Melanie in Ladies Home Journal admitted, ""I might try to get pregnant at the end of this year," she says. "It would be great to have two little ones."

Antonio and Melanie's home in Spain. Click on the images for detail. Monteros residential area in Marbella, Spain;