The Story of Ana Leza – Antonio Banderas’ First Wife

Ana Leza was thrust into the spotlight when she married famed Spanish actor Antonio Banderas. Their high-profile relationship put Leza’s name on the map, even though it ultimately ended in a bitter divorce just years later. This is the untold story of Ana Leza – from her acting days to life after Banderas.

A Promising Start in Acting

Ana Leza was born on January 1, 1962, in Madrid, Spain. Her mother, Concha Leza, was a budding actress which exposed little Ana to the world of entertainment. By the time she grew up, Ana was determined to follow her mom’s footsteps into acting.

Details about Ana’s education are scarce. But at some point in the late 1980s, Ana began scoring minor roles on Spanish television and films.

Early Acting Credits

Ana Leza’s first credited role came in the 1990 Spanish TV series La Mujer de Tu Vida. This kicked off a steady stream of acting gigs over the next few years such as:

• Lorca, Death of a Poet (TV Movie documentary) – 1990
• The Pleasure of Killing (Movie) – 1991
• Teresa of Jesus (TV Mini-series) – 1993
• Of Love and Shadows (Movie) – 1994

So while Ana was far from being a superstar, her acting career was heading decently by the early 90s. Little did she know her life was about change in the most dramatic of ways.

A Whirlwind Courtship with Antonio Banderas

One fateful day, Ana Leza happened to see a theater production starring popular Spanish actor Antonio Banderas. Ana was instantly mesmerized by Banderas’ performance and looks – she just had to meet him backstage after the show.

Sparks flew immediately between Ana and Antonio. Banderas himself recalled:

“There was something about her that I instantly understood. I had to meet her.”

This kicked off a rapid courtship. Within 6 months, Ana Leza and Antonio Banderas got married in a small church ceremony in Madrid on July 27, 1987.

Little did Ana know then that she would forever be tied to this man’s legacy.

Ana’s Support in Antonio’s Early Career

Being fluent in English, Ana Leza played a pivotal early role in Antonio’s career. When Antonio was cast in American films like The Mambo Kings (1992), Ana helped translate English scripts and lines for him to practice.

In an interview, Banderas explained:

“[Ana] helped me translate the script for ‘Los reyes del mambo,’ to work on it, she gave me a lot of confidence. Without her, I would have not gotten the role.”

Thanks to guidance from his supportive wife Ana, Antonio Banderas successfully transitioned into the profitable English film market during the 1990s. But sadly, their marriage wouldn’t last long enough to see the real fruits of Banderas’ career explosion.

A Bitter End to Marriage with Antonio

Trouble was already brewing in Ana Leza’s marriage to Antonio Banderas by 1995. While filming an American movie called Two Much that year, Antonio grew infatuated with co-star Melanie Griffith. Before Ana could blink, Banderas left her to marry Melanie in 1996.

Ana Leza was understandably devastated by Antonio’s betrayal. In interviews, she lashed out at Griffith for “stealing her husband.” After all, Ana gave up her career to support Antonio’s early on.

While the marriage came crashing down painfully, Ana made sure she was taken care of in the divorce. Ana secured:

• $4 million Madrid house owned by Antonio Banderas
• Alimony checks of €12,000 ($14,100) per month for 3.5 years
• 50% share of Antonio’s movie profits while married

In total, Antonio estimates he lost more than $15 million in the divorce settlement with Ana Leza. But his career soon fully blossomed to earn far more down the road.

Picking Up the Pieces and Moving On

After the raw emotions from the Antonio Banderas breakup calmed, Ana Leza was ready to move forward with her life by 2000. That year she married a man named Dharma Villareal in Santa Barbara, California:

• Dharma worked as an editor and documentarian
• The couple later had two daughters, Clara Maria and Sophia Macarena
• Tried unsuccessfully to start a restaurant franchise in Madrid in 2003
• Ana’s new family followed Buddhist principles

Reports indicate Ana Leza preferred privacy as she raised her daughters with Dharma Villareal. The family split their time between various locations including Madrid, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, and others.

Ana was finally living a quiet, content life out of the media spotlight.

Antonio Banderas’ Continued Success

While Ana Leza settled into family life, her famous ex-husband Antonio Banderas went on to even bigger Hollywood success. Highlights include:

• Starred in hit films like The Mask of Zorro (1998), Spy Kids (2001), and Shrek 2 (2004)
• Earned over $45 million from acting roles through the mid-2000s
• Their current net worth estimated at around $50 million
• Co-owns a winery called Anta Banderas Winery in Spain

So while their split was painful at the time, both Ana and Antonio found happiness in the ensuring decades.

Where is Ana Leza Now?

Today, Ana’s daughters with Dharma Villareal are fully grown adults. After stepping back from acting in the early 2000s, Ana Leza has avoided publicity or giving interviews for 20+ years now.

By all indications, Ana continues focusing on family rather than reviving her acting career. After the drama surrounding her first celebrity marriage, one can hardly blame her for valuing privacy. Ana appears content with her post-Hollywood life.

While the name Ana Leza may not ring a bell with modern audiences, she played an unsung yet pivotal role in launching the megastar career of Antonio Banderas. And for a few short years, Ana Leza herself stood in the glitz and glamor as the wife of a budding A-list movie star.

The Legacy of Ana Leza’s Story

Despite a disastrous ending, Ana Leza’s story still fascinates as a cautionary tale of romance gone wrong. We wonder if Ana has regrets or feels vindicated now seeing the massive career Banderas went on to achieve.

But like most things from her private life today, Ana Leza’s side of the story remains untold. This unlikely actress who soared to prominence and wealth thanks to love and heartbreak still intrigues from the shadows, even years later. That is the legacy of Ana Leza – first wife to Antonio Banderas.

Concluding Thoughts on Ana Leza

When looking back on the life of Ana Leza, brings up many thoughts and emotions. She was a woman who found herself unexpectedly thrown into the spotlight all thanks to the passionate love she and Antonio Banderas shared for that brief period.

Yet for all the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, Ana paid a high price in heartache when things crashed down. While Ana played a crucial nurturing role in Antonio’s early career, she ultimately needed to pick up the pieces of her own life after divorce.

Ana Leza’s legacy serves as a cautionary reminder that fame and fortune can appear within one’s grasp only to disappear unexpectedly. Her stunning rise to prominence and harsh fall from grace encapsulate the ephemeral storybook nature that a whirlwind romance with a celebrity often produces.

Yet the most inspiring part of Ana’s story is how she handled life after Antonio Banderas. Rather than becoming bitter and lost years after the fact, Ana found her footing, started a family, and carved out privacy and meaning separate from her past fame.

Few of us will ever experience the extreme highs and lows Ana did in her brush with celebrity in marriage. Yet in the end, her life followed a rather normal path not too unlike the rest of ours. Ana Leza learned to build happiness through family; not fame, wealth, or revenge against her ex-lover.

And so when the name Ana Leza surfaces in entertainment history, she will be remembered for far more than just having the phrase “ex-wife of Antonio Banderas” attached to her name. She is a woman who found herself and created a rich life under the shadows of a short-lived spotlight – and that is the most valuable lesson of her intriguing legacy that will endure.