Antonio Banderas hails 'best friend' Melanie Griffith
Antonio Banderas has heaped praise on Melanie Griffith, his ex-wife.
Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith are still "best friends".
The 65-year-old actor and Melanie, 68, were married between 1996 and 2015, and Antonio has revealed how they've remained close friends, despite their break-up.
The movie star told People: "[Melanie is] if not my best friend, one of my best friends.
"And when I go to Los Angeles, we get together anyway, we got a lot of fun. We laugh and we just ... It’s a very healthy thing, and it was very healthy for our kids."
Asked if there's a secret to their lasting friendship, Antonio replied: "The thing is that when we were as couple, when we separated, we were always very sincere.
"We came out of our relationship in a nice way that was very important for [the kids] and for us."
Antonio previously revealed that he'd love to star in a film with stepdaughter Dakota Johnson.
The veteran actor is a big fan of the Fifty Shades of Grey star – who is the daughter of Melanie and her ex-husband Don Johnson – and Antonio knew she was an “awesome” actress from a very young age.
Asked if they would ever share the screen together, Antonio told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: "I would love to.
"In fact, the first movie she did – ‘Crazy in Alabama’ – I directed her. I think she was around ten years old and she was awesome.
"She was following directions and doing everything right."
Antonio praised his stepdaughter for carving out her own career without relying on her family connections.
He said: "Dakota created her own world and that’s a healthier way to do it than just to be ‘Mami, Papi’.
"She needs to get out of the house, find her own way – and that’s what she did, and we are very proud of her."
Antonio knows he can rely on Dakota to help him learn lines and offer tips on his performance.
The actor - who now lives in Malaga in Spain - said: "I was preparing a character and I said, ‘Dakota, can you just read this for me?’
"She said, ‘OK Papi, but be careful of that – I think you’re going a little too far.’"
