HOLLYWOOD legend Antonio Banderas reportedly plans to move back to his home city of Málaga permanently, and has put his luxury mansion in Surrey, UK on the market.
The actor, 61, has been living in the Home Counties in the south of England for several years with his partner, Dutch-German financial consultant Nicole Kimpel, 40, for some years, where he was reputedly studying an art and design course at London's prestigious Saint Martin's College.
His time in Surrey, seeking the quiet life after a long spell living in Hollywood, was partly marred by his heart attack a few years back – which he recovered from in full after being admitted to a hospital in Switzerland for observation – and by his 60th birthday last year being far from the celebration the long-running 'Almodóvar Boy' had envisaged: Aside from most of Europe being in lockdown at the time, Banderas was diagnosed with Covid, although he did not have to be hospitalised and his only symptoms were extreme tiredness.
The pop-up, minimalist, bespoke villa he and Nicole have been living in was designed by the German firm Huf Haus, which specialises in 'eco-efficient' living.
It has five bedrooms, three storeys, a gym and spa, double- and triple-glazed windows – floor to ceiling, in some cases, offering a high level of natural light and sun-generated heating, and the building itself is 500 square metres.
Four terraces and a huge garden, with panoramic views across the Surrey countryside, the mansion is just outside the town of Cobham and is up for sale for around €3.5 million with Savills estate agents.
Although Antonio Banderas describes the location as 'magical', the pull of 'home' is proving even stronger.
“I go out on my bike in the woods, and I'm surrounded by nature,” he says.
“I love seeing the deer and foxes that pop into my garden.”
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