Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek’s Rocky ‘Puss in Boots’ Tour
Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek’s whirlwind press tour for ‘Puss in Boots’ in 2011 pushed them to their limits, straining their friendship and leaving them both exhausted and frustrated.
Imagine being told your job is to travel the globe, stay in five-star hotels, and earn millions—all while spending every moment with Salma Hayek. For most, that sounds like a dream. But for Antonio Banderas, this scenario turned into a real challenge during the promotional campaign for ‘Puss in Boots’ back in 2011.
The animated spin-off from the ‘Shrek’ franchise brought Banderas and Hayek together as co-stars, or more accurately, co-voices. The film’s release meant a relentless press tour, and the two found themselves on a grueling schedule that would test anyone’s patience.
Endless Interviews and Mounting Frustration
Over the course of just 11 days, Banderas and Hayek powered through an astonishing 739 interviews. The pair traveled to nine countries, attended nine premieres, and crossed three continents. Banderas recalled,
“We traveled to nine countries, nine premieres, three different continents… It was fun and difficult too. It’s just weird when you’re doing interviews. Basically, they (reporters and interviewers) ask you the same question again and again… and you answer the same thing… and when you’re doing pair interviews – because Salma and I were just doing interviews all the time together – it’s just weird.”
While the perks of luxury hotels and big paychecks might sound appealing, the reality was far from glamorous. The repetitive nature of the interviews and the constant travel wore them down. By the time they reached Rome, the tension between the two was palpable.
From Rome to Sydney: Tensions Boil Over
As the tour dragged on, the exhaustion took its toll. Banderas admitted,
“By the time that we were in Rome, we started kind of hating each other. By the time we were in Sydney, we wanted to kill each other – because we knew exactly what the other (person) was going to answer… We were just so tired.”
The endless cycle of answering the same questions, day after day, left both stars drained. The stress of the tour made even the most enviable job feel overwhelming. Their frustration grew as they anticipated each other’s responses, making every interview feel like déjà vu.
Looking Back: A Grueling Experience
It’s easy to compare their ordeal to the fatigue of a nurse after a long shift, but Banderas and Hayek’s experience was its own kind of exhausting. Fielding nonstop questions about animated cats while sipping sparkling water in hotel suites might sound easy, but the mental toll was real.
Despite the strain, the experience didn’t keep Banderas from returning to the role of the swashbuckling feline for the 2022 sequel, ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.’ Hayek also came back, proving that time—and perhaps a generous paycheck—can heal old wounds.