Pedro Almodovar's Muses
- Details
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 November 2013 06:48
- Written by Lupe Haas
Antonio Banderas first appeared in a small role in Almodovar's Labyrinth of Passion in 1982 and went on to appear in four films. Pedro Almodovar reunites with Antonio for a sixth time for his current film The Skin I Live In. The PUSS IN BOOTS star hadn't worked with Almodovar since 1990 on Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down! Perhaps he needed a bit of a career revival as Penelope Cruz experienced when she reunited with Almodovar after her American career waned.
Penelope Cruz was not a new face in Spain or America when she first joined with the independent filmmaker in her small, but memorable role in All About My Mother in 1999. Cruz first came to attention in Spain for 1992's Jamon, Jamon and later in 1997's Abre Los Ojos (open Your Eyes) which led to her American debut in Stephen Frears drama The Hi-Lo Country (199?). But it was her role in Almodovar's Academy Award-winning original script Talk To Her that got tongues wagging in the States once again. She went onto bigger commercial fare in America starring opposite Matthew McCoughey in Sahara and reprised her role in an English-language remake of Abre Los Ojos with Tom Cruise (Vanilla Sky) with less than impressive results.
It wasn't until she reunited with Almodovar in Volver that earned her critical praise, and led to her first Academy Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. The following year, she won the Academy Award in the same category for Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Her affiliation with Pedro Almodovar resurged her career. In 2009, the Spanish natives joined forces once again for their third partnership in Broken Embraces.
Spanish actress Paz Vega also made in appearance in a Pedro Almodovar film (Talk to Her) before heading to Hollywood to star with Adam Sandler in Spanglish, Samuel L. Jackson in The Spirit and Morgan Freeman in 10 Items Or Less. Penelope Cruz's husband Javier Bardem also had a small role in an Almodovar film.
Appearing in an Almodovar film certainly has helped springboard Spanish imports like Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz into Hollywood, but other of Almodovar's frequent collaborators stayed in Spain to continue their career with the auteur in over six films. Carmen Maura and Cecilia Roth starred in Pedro Almodovar's feature film debut in Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls in 1980 and continued their partnership until now. Spanish actress Carmen Maura has appeared in over seven films while Argentinean transplant worked with the internationally acclaimed filmmaker in six films.
Spanish actress Marisa Paredes, however, is the queen of Almodovar's muses with 7 collaborations, and she's next appearing in Almodovar's next directorial effort Mina, based based on the life of the Italian singer.
Other actors have sought out to work with the acclaimed writer/director like Mexican actors Gael Garcia Bernal (Bad Education) and Kuno Becker jumping at the chance for roles in an Almodovar film.
Pedro Almodovar will most likely continue finding young actors for Hollywood to import. His current film The Skin I Live In is now playing in select theatres.
