The Oscar-nominated actor Antonio Banderas (Shrek, Genius, Pain and Glory) announced on Monday, his 60th birthday, via Twitter that he had contracted COVID-19 and will be forced to spend time in quarantine, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Spanish actor assures his fans that he will use his isolation to “read, write, and rest.”
Banderas was just recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 2019 drama Pain & Glory which can be streamed on Hulu. In message posted on Twitter, he announced that he was joining the list of actors who have tested positive. He stated, “I want to make public that today…. I am forced to celebrate my 60th birthday following quarantine after having tested positive for the COVID-19 disease, caused by the coronavirus. I would like to add that I am relatively OK, just a little more tired than usual and confident to recover as soon as possible following the medical indications that I hope will allow me to overcome the infectious process that I suffer,” via The Hollywood Reporter.
The actor also added that he plans on taking “advantage of this isolation to read, write, and rest,” and that he will “continue making plans to begin to give meaning to my newly released 60 years to which came loaded with desire and illusion. Big hugs to everyone,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
Alongside Banderas, Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Lethal Weapon), Idris Elba (Luther, Fast & Furious, Thor), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Hitman), Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad) and Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Greyhound) have also contracted the virus.