Antonio Banderas Explains Why His Heart Attack Is the ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened’ to Him

Antonio Banderas has opened up about his 2017 heart attack. The actor recalled the health scare in a new interview, explaining how it turned his life for the better. Banderas stars in the upcoming biopic Tony about Anthony Bourdain’s life.

In a recent interview with People, Antonio Banderas got candid about the heart attack he suffered at his home in Surrey, England. His longtime girlfriend Nicole Kimpel immediately gave him some aspirin before medics rushed him to the hospital. The actor underwent an emergency surgery where doctors placed three stents in his arteries.

“My heart attack was the best thing that ever happened in my life,” Banderas shared. “It was like somebody put glasses on me so I could see the reality that I didn’t see before.”

Banderas has credited the heart attack for inspiring him to make some major lifestyle changes.

How Antonio Banderas rebuilt his life after his 2017 heart attack

Speaking with People, Banderas shared that he quit smoking following the 2017 heart attack, and decided to move back to his hometown of Málaga, Spain.

“You always have in your mind that you’re going to die,” The Mask of Zorro actor reflected. “But then when you have it so close, it’s an unbelievably clear reminder of how stupid you are losing time over things that don’t deserve to be in your life.”

Banderas went on to talk about his role in the upcoming Anthony Bourdain’s biopic, Tony. “I didn’t know Anthony Bourdain personally, but I thought that [Bourdain’s travelogue series No Reservations] was a beautiful show that was not actually about cooking, but life,” the actor noted.

“And then my character [based on Bourdain’s mentor Ciro Cozzi], he was a good man,” Banderas shared. “He was somebody who has something to say. And I have eight restaurants, so I am a little bit in that world, too. It’s almost impossible to say no to a project like this.”

Dominic Sessa plays a young Anthony Bourdain in Tony, which arrives in theaters this Friday, August 7, 2026. The movie is distributed by A24.

Source: Comingsoon.net