Banderas arrested as a mime

WENN, Thursday, July 28, 2011, 8:08am (PDT)

By newsdesk@wenn.com (WENN Newsdesk)

"Zorro" star Antonio Banderas was once arrested while dressed as a mime for a protest play in Spain.

The Spanish actor was part of the counterculture movement dubbed Modiva following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

However, there was still confusion and unrest in Spain, particularly among authorities who were used to following Franco's hardline approach - and Banderas felt the full force of the law during a protest play.

He explains to Empire magazine, "I remember doing one of those sketches and seeing the helmet of cops. 'Oh, s**t'. When the curtains come down, they were on stage: 'You have to come with us.' We were all painted, you know? In white, with tears and stuff - like a mime.' So they handcuffed us and put us in a car and took our prints and pictures.

"It was still the government of the conservative people trying to scare people who may be threatening for them at the time. But it was very clear that there was no way back - and it was just a matter of time. And they even knew it."