Antonio Banderas, on His 60th Birthday, Reveals He Has COVID-19

Iconic Spanish actor and recent Pain and Glory star Antonio Banderas has revealed that he has contracted the novel coronavirus, at the most inopportune of times—his 60th birthday, which is today. The star revealed his diagnosis via Twitter in Spanish, saying that he has been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms that thankfully seem to be on the milder side. Translated to English, his tweet reads as follows:

“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. 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.”

Quiero contaros lo siguiente… pic.twitter.com/u579iBVLM0

— Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) August 10, 2020

It’s an elegant statement from one of cinema’s most prolific Spanish actors; a man who has reinvented his appeal numerous times over the course of a four-decade career. Most recently, Banderas starred in Spanish feature Pain and Glory, which was lauded by critics, winning him the award for Best Actor at Cannes in 2019 and securing Banderas’ first Academy Awards nomination for Best Actor as well. Since his debut in the early 1980s, Banderas has rarely been out of cinemas for long, appearing as romantic leads, action heroes, dramatic powerhouses and even voice acting in animation. We wish him a speedy recovery from the virus that continues in an unabated pandemic worldwide.