Antonio Banderas stars in Genius season 2, a biographical anthology series on Disney+, playing a character very far from his usual characters. For nearly his entire career, Antonio Banderas has been known as a suave hero as a protagonist, or a ladykiller if he’s playing the antagonist.
That’s not to say he’s one note, and he’s been nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globes, and Emmys for his nuanced portrayals of characters across the spectrum. However, there’s no doubt he’s best known for characters like Zorro and El Mariachi, which makes his performance in Genius all the more surprising.
Every Season Of Genius Probes A Different Creative Or Societal Figure
Genius premiered on National Geographic in April 2017 starring Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein as the season proceeded to chronicle the rise of the mathematical genius. Season 2 then went on to depict the life of painter Pablo Picasso, played by Antonio Banderas, with a focus on his life as a young man, then as a respected painter.
Season 3 follows singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin, while season 4 centers on Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre). Each season is an impressively accurate historical depiction, and in season 2, Picasso’s fear and uncertainty about the rise of fascism in Spain is highlighted.
Season 2 is filled with melodrama stemming from Picasso’s competition with Henri Matisse (Andrew Buchan) and his love affair between Françoise Gilot (Clémence Poésy) and Dora Maar (Samantha Colley). The Picasso season can feel superficial and removed, but that also makes it accessible, giving viewers a bird’s eye view.
Picasso Is A Very Different Role From What Banderas Usually Plays
Picasso in the second season of Genius is played by four actors over the course of his life, but it’s Antonio Banderas who has the most amount of screen time and plays him for the most significant moments of his life. It’s a fantastic performance from Banderas, who is subtle but seductive in his portrayal.
Alex Rich plays Picasso at a young age, Timothy Lyons plays him at 9-years-old, and Alessio Scalzotto plays him at 14-years-old.
Banderas has certainly played his share of seductive characters in his life, he hasn’t played one so unsure of himself. For as grandiose as Picasso could be, Genius shows, there’s also a deep streak of immaturity and insecurity that Banderas brings out of the character.
Sure, he may have the hearts of some women, but his insecurity leads him to disrespect them both. He knows his talent is unquestioned, but he still feels overmatched when faced with Matisse. He knows fascism is a threat, but Genius shows that even strong people waste time deliberating even when the answer is obvious.
- Release Date
-
April 25, 2017
- Network
-
National Geographic
- Directors
-
Anthony Hemingway, Crystle Roberson, Marta Cunningham, Director X.
- Writers
-
Raphael Jackson Jr., Jeff Stetson, Marta Gene Camps, Sigrid Gilmer
