Why Banderas and Hayek 'Wanted to Kill Each Other' on Tour
Imagine being paid millions to travel the world with a famous co-star, only to find the experience turning into a nightmare. For Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, a seemingly glamorous movie tour became an exhausting ordeal that pushed their professional relationship to the brink.
It sounds like a dream job: traveling the globe, staying in five-star hotels, and earning millions of dollars. The only catch? Spending every moment alongside the talented and charismatic Salma Hayek. For most, that wouldn't be a drawback, but for Antonio Banderas, this exact scenario during a 2011 press junket became an unexpectedly trying experience that tested the limits of his patience.
An Unrelenting Promotional Blitz
The source of the friction was the promotional campaign for the *Shrek* spin-off, *Puss in Boots*. Banderas and Hayek, who voiced the lead characters, were sent on a whirlwind global press junket to publicize the movie's release. The schedule was staggering, involving a reported 739 interviews in a mere 11 days. The sheer volume and repetitive nature of the work quickly took its toll.
Banderas recalled the demanding pace, stating, “We travelled 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.”
From Friction to Animosity
While the life of a movie star seems glamorous, the constant repetition and lack of personal space began to wear on the two actors. The relentless cycle of questions and canned answers created a tense atmosphere that escalated as the trip progressed. The exotic locations, from Italy to Australia, did little to ease the growing strain between the co-stars.
The exhaustion eventually boiled over into genuine animosity. Banderas candidly described their deteriorating dynamic: “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 monotony had transformed a professional partnership into a source of mutual irritation.
A Lasting Partnership
Fortunately, the on-the-road conflict didn't permanently damage their working relationship. More than a decade later, both Banderas and Hayek reprised their roles for the critically acclaimed 2022 sequel, *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*. Their return to the franchise demonstrated that the bad blood was temporary, a product of extreme circumstances rather than a deep-seated personal issue. The passage of time, and perhaps the promise of another significant payday, was enough to mend the fences and bring the iconic duo back to the big screen.