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Antonio Banderas has hit back at reports that he is on the brink of financial “ruin” due to losses incurred by a theater company he runs in his hometown of Malaga, Spain.
The 65-year-old The Mask of Zorro star leased a historic theater in the city in 2017, which is also the home of his theater company, the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank.
Recent reports in Spain, including in the celebrity magazine Cuore, have claimed that Banderas is facing financial difficulties after the theater incurred losses of around 2.5 million euros per year.
However, in a statement posted to his social media accounts, Banderas pointed out he has always intended to run the theater at a loss as his way of supporting the local arts scene.
“Hello friends,” wrote Banderas in the Spanish-language post which has been translated. “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.”
Antonio Banderas has denied Spanish media reports that he is on the brink of financial ‘ruin’ (AFP/Getty)
The statement continues: “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.”
The Teatro del Soho CaixaBank is both a physical theater in Malaga and a production company. The venue has hosted performances from the likes of Broadway icon Patti LuPone, while Banderas has personally directed recent productions of musicals including 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.
“And here I’d like to thank the outstanding involvement of the magnificent sponsors who accompany me on this adventure. Last year we brought into the Soho, including the production that landed in Madrid, nearly 200,000 spectators. We’ve managed to break molds in these years and we’re going to keep doing it. No, my friends, I’m not ruined—I’m at full throttle! And I’m threateningly happy! Hasta la vista babies.”
Banderas will next be seen playing the mentor of a young Anthony Bourdain in the A24 biopic Tony.