Spanish actor Antonio Banderas revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Academy Award-nominated star ofPain and Gloryannounced the news on his official Twitter account on his 60th birthday.
The film and television industry is just one of the many businesses that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to studios delaying the production of multiple projects, the release dates of several highly-anticipated films have beenpushed back by months or even a full year.
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Throughout the pandemic, several celebrities who have tested positive for COVID-19 have taken to social media to share their experience, includingTom Hanks and Rita Wilson. As the latest celebrity to publicly announce his own positive test, Banderas informed fans he feels “relatively good” at this time, aside from being more tired than usual. “I want to make it public that today, Aug. 10, I am forced to celebrate my 60th birthday in quarantine, having tested positive for the COVID-19 disease, caused by the coronavirus. I would like to add that I feel relatively good, just a little more tired than usual, and am confident that I will recover as soon as possible following medical instructions that I hope will allow me to overcome the infectious period that I am suffering, and that is affecting so many people around the planet,” he wrote.
Fortunately, Banderas explained that he plans to make the most of his time in quarantine, writing, “I will take advantage of this isolation to read, write, rest and continue making plans to begin to give meaning to my 60 years, to which I arrive full of enthusiasm. A big hug to everyone.”
News of Banderas doing well at this time despite testing for the coronavirus will come as a relief to fans who appreciate his work in films such asDesperado,The Mask of Zorro,Once Upon a Time in Mexico,The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water,andtheSpy Kidsfranchise. Perhaps most notably, Banderas has earned himself a legion of fans across multiple generations as the voice of feisty, sword-wielding, and adorable Puss in Boots in DreamWorks Animation’sShreksequels. Fans of Banderas are also excited about his upcoming and yet-to-be-announcedrole in Sony’sUnchartedfilm.
Of course, Banderas' continued well-being is at the top of mind for his fans, especially considering the coronavirus has been known to worsen over time in some who contract the virus. Sadly, Banderas is just the latest person to have his life turned upside by the pandemic, with many experiencing worse symptoms than the Oscar-nominee and thousands losing their lives to the virus daily. Even those who have managed to avoid contracting the virus have had their lives changed, such asbusinesses across the world face economic hardshipsthat don’t look like they’ll be entirely quelled anytime soon.
Pain and Gloryis now available on Blu-Ray.
