Veteran Spanish actor Antonio Banderas says early in his Hollywood career he faced racial typecasting – being told executives believed he could only play villains because of his ethnicity.

In a recent interview with The Times, Banderas, 65, reflected on his early struggles in the American film industry, recalling that some Hollywood executives told him, “You are here, like the Blacks and the Hispanics, to play the bad guys.” The remark, he said, reflected a prejudiced view of nonwhite and foreign actors at the time.

Despite the discouraging message, Banderas went on to build a diverse career that challenged that stereotype. But he also noted that his path into Hollywood wasn’t straightforward. He began acting in Spanish theatre and film before crossing over into American cinema in the early 1990s, despite not speaking fluent English at first. Early Hollywood opportunities were limited, and he said the industry’s narrow expectations for ethnic actors posed a real challenge.

Over decades, Banderas expanded his range with roles in films including Desperado, Philadelphia, Evita, The Mask of Zorro, Shrek and The Mambo Kings, earning acclaim across genres. His success helped break down some of the preconceived notions about what roles he could take on in mainstream cinema.