Antonio Banderas Dances in 'Take the Lead'

Antonia Banderas has had very little experience playing characters that are based on real people. With the possible except of playing Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan in The 13th Warrior (if you consider Beowulf to be a true story), his only role as a non-fictional character came for his portrayal of the character "Che" in the Madonna movie, Evita. Banderas' latest undertaking, Take the Lead, requires him to do just that.

"You don't know what's behind his eyes. He's not one to talk about himself, and he's not a guy who imposes. But little by little, he lets ideas sink into the minds of his students, and they slowly come around to him," Antonio Banderas said to The Star. Banderas is playing Pierre Dulaine, a real-life ballroom dance instructor who mentors a New York City inner-city school's detention class on ballroom dancing. Through the time he spends with the kinds, Dulaine touches their lives and imparts valuable life lessons, as well as valuable dance lessons.

"When I met first met Pierre, I loved the way he carries himself - he's a bit mysterious in a way," Banderas went on to say. "What I tried to do is (capture) how Pierre behaves, which is sort of about masculinity through self-respect and dignity. It's a way of moving through the world."

In Take the Lead, Banderas' character takes more than just his dancing prowess to the school. Lauren Collins plays Caitlin, a wealthy 19 year old who is having trouble fitting into the upscale dance studio where Pierre Dulaine is teaching, so she follows him to the school where Dulaine is volunteering. Collins, a veteran of the Canadian TV series, Degrassi: The Next Generation is making her big-screen debut alongside Banderas. In an interview with ABC News, Collins said "Of course I was totally nervous, but he made me feel so comfortable because he's the sweetest man alive, seriously."

Along with Banderas and Collins, Desparate Housewives' Alfre Woodard (Radio, The Core) co-stars as principal Augustine James, a no non-sense, almost prison warden style of an authority figure. Some other big names (without big parts), and big parts (without big names) combine to create this movie. People like Ray Liotta (Narc, Blow), Jenna Dewan (Tamara), Dante Basco (But I'm a Cheerleader), Yaya DaCosta (America's Next Top Model) and Rob Brown (Coach Carter, Finding Forrester) are cast to give the "tango meets hip-hop" aspect of this movie going.

Directing this spicy dance movie is Liz Friedhandler, a veteran music video and music movie director. Friedhandler has worked with such bands as R.E.M., Simple Plan, Three Doors Down, Blink 182 and Babyface. Take the Lead tries to combine Friedhandler's eye for what the younger generation likes, with the star power of Antonio Banders, and attempts to bring the recent power of Dancing With The Stars into a successful movie fomula, all the while trying to stay away from other genre movies like Save the Last Dance, Honey and Mad Hot Ballroom.

Banderas, the Malaga, Spain native, first gained notoriety with the 1992 hit The Mambo Kings, and followed it up with an supporting role in the Oscar winning Philadelphia. In 1995, Antonio Banderas starred in several movies, including Desparado and Two Much, which is where he met his future wife, Melanie Griffith. Banderas would go on to greater success with The Mask of Zorro, The 13th Warrior, Play It to The Bone, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Shrek 2 and The Legend of Zorro. By far, his two most popular characters are El Mariachi, and, in a stark contrast, the loveable "Puss in Boots". Regarding "Puss in Boots", Banderas told New York Magazine, "Oh, my God. I hate that cat. Ever since he appeared in my life he's more important than me. Now women always say, 'Oh, I love that cat. He's so cute.' Before, it was, 'I loved you in Zorro.' And sometimes you think is she saying that because she has some other . . . intention? But no. They love the cat, and they hate me."

[Additional Sources: The Star, ABC News, New York Magazine]