Antonio Banderas reveals secret to happy co-parenting relationship with ex Melanie Griffith
'I'm a very good friend of my ex-wife,' Antonio Banderas, who shares daughter Stella Banderas with Melanie Griffith, said
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Antonio Banderas, who has a daughter named Stella Banderas with Melanie Griffith, spoke candidly about their relationship.
After nearly 20 years of marriage, the 63-year-old actor and the 66-year-old actress got divorced in 2015.
Antonio Banderas describes co-parenting dynamic
'The Puss in Boots' actor also took on the role of stepfather to Griffith's other two children: 34-year-old Dakota Johnson, whom she had with Don Johnson, and 38-year-old Alexander Bauer, whom she shares with Stephen Bauer.
Antonio Banderas started the chat by describing how he and the former 'Working Girl' actress have been effective co-parents.
He stated, "The secret is just to understand each other. I'm a very good friend of my ex-wife. I don't have anything against her. She's a wonderful woman and I still respect and support that idea that everything that happened between her and me for 20 years was beautiful," as reported by OK Magazine.
Antonio noted, "Of course, we had our bad moments. But the thing that I will remember forever is those beautiful moments that we had together. And one of those beautiful moments has to do with our kids and the family."
Antonio Banderas spends most of his time in Spain
Antonio mentioned that he always makes time to spend time with Griffith and their blended family when he visits Los Angeles, but that he currently spends most of his time in Spain because he owns a theater in his hometown.
He said, "If I go to Los Angeles, the first thing there that I do is call her. We go for dinner, we just get together, the whole entire family. And so that is very important. Not only to us but to the rest of the family. I think the kids — I think we did well."
Stella intends to follow in her parents' footsteps in Hollywood, the 'Spy Kids' actor disclosed. He told the interviewer, "Maybe but not in front of the camera, at least not now."
He added, "She's doing short movies, she's directing, she's studied acting and she's going to start directing some commercials too. And I think she's going to end up directing movies."
Antonio Banderas on supporting Dakota Johnson
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Antonio also gushed about Dakota, his stepdaughter, who rose to fame after appearing in the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' trilogy. "Dakota is a superstar," he noted.
He said, "She's a bigger star than me. And so what can I say? Nothing to say about that, except ‘I support you."
Stella took pleasure in working behind the camera instead of in front of it, he explained, adding that she had an "intellectual approach to cinema."
Antonio stated, "She thought about that many times and she probably thought about jumping in front of the camera because I remember talking about that with her."
He added, "She went to the Academy of Acting but she's shy in a way and I think she feels more protected there with more capacity to tell a story than if she is in front of the camera."
