Spanish film star Antonio Banderas said on his birthday that he has no plans to retire or reduce his work rhythm, even though he is now 65 years old.

“When I was 20, I thought that people at 65 walked with a cane,” Banderas, known for films such as “The Mask of Zorro,” “Desperado” and “Philadelphia,” told Spanish daily El País.

“Back then, at 65, it was time to retire. Now, it’s much later. Maybe I’m doing things I shouldn’t be doing,” added the actor, who suffered a heart attack in 2017. “The doctors don’t tell me anything – they assure me that I’m fine and that I should do whatever I want.”

Banderas revealed that he recently started music theory lessons and bought a piano. “I think I’m one of those people who would die if they just stopped. I do what I love – that’s the luck of my life.”

Having started his acting career in the 1980s, he remains extremely busy running the theatre he opened in 2019 in his native Malaga, southern Spain.

This summer, Banderas spent time in Boston, where he filmed a biopic about legendary chef Anthony Bourdain, titled “Tony.” He then went to the Canary Islands to work on the thriller “Above and Below.” | BGNES, AFP