Movies have not always portrayed stepmothers and stepfathers as bad, wicked people who come to make their stepchildren’s lives impossible. However, reality is very different. This is the case of Dakota Johnson and Antonio Banderas, stepdaughter and stepfather, who share a very beautiful relationship. Melanie Griffith, Dakota’s mother, met Banderas during the filming of the movie Two Much, and since then they have lived a beautiful relationship and a 20-year marriage. It was then that Banderas came into Johnson’s life, marking a before and after for her.
In 2014, the couple decided to separate, but Banderas’s good rapport with the family remains visible to this day. It was at the 2019 Hollywood Film Awards ceremony when one of the most emotional moments between stepdaughter and stepfather occurred.It was Dakota Johnson who presented the Best Actor award to Antonio Banderas, giving him a speech in which she highlighted his energy, creativity, and unconditional love for her, his mother, and his brother throughout all these years.
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas, better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor, film director, singer, producer, screenwriter, and theater businessman. Born on August 10, 1960, in Málaga, Andalusia, Spain, he began his journey in the theaters of his homeland. In the 1980s, he had his first role in a series by the renowned director Pedro Almodóvar, and since then his career took off, reaching Hollywood. With over 50 films throughout his career (in addition to theatrical works and voiceovers), Banderas currently resides in Málaga, his birthplace.
In 1995, he starred in the movie Two Much alongside Melanie Griffith, who became his wife in 1996 and with whom he was happily married for 20 years. At that time, Griffith already had two children, Dakota Johnson and Alexander Bauer, whom Banderas treated as his own children. In 1996, Stella del Carmen Banderas Griffith was born, the only daughter of the couple. They were one of the reference couples in Hollywood until their separation in 2014. However, they have continued to show a friendly and respectful relationship since then.
Dakota Johnson
Born on October 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas, she is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Like her parents, she is an actress and model, making her film debut at the age of 10 in the movie Crazy in Alabama, alongside her mother. With multiple leading roles, she became globally known with the Fifty Shades film saga in 2015, playing the role of Anastasia Steele. At the age of 10, Antonio Banderas came into her life, becoming her stepfather and the father of her sister Stella del Carmen Banderas Griffith. After her parents’ divorce, Johnson continued to publicly show the good relationship she maintains with the Spanish actor and what he has meant to her.
Hollywood Film Awards
In 2019, the 23rd Edition of the Hollywood Film Awards was held, where Antonio Banderas was nominated for Best Actor for his role in ‘Pain and Glory’. To the surprise of the attendees, it was Dakota Johnson who presented this award, and as it could be no other way, Banderas was the winner. Upon taking the stage, Dakota dedicated an emotional speech to the man who was her stepfather for 20 years, and with whom she still has a beautiful relationship. “My stepfather, Antonio Banderas, burst into our lives. He is so vibrant, so funny, and so charming… He loved my mother, me, and my brothers with such strength and so much noise that he changed our lives forever”.
She added, “Our amazing new relatives and friends, flamenco dancing, ham… Dad, on behalf of your family, we are always so amazed by you, we are so proud of you, and we love you forever.” A declaration full of love that completely disproves the role of wicked step-parents and reclaims the role of those who come to make a difference.