Some bonds last forever.
Antonio Banderas may no longer be married to Dakota Johnson's mother Melanie Griffith, but the two have maintained their stepfather-stepdaughter relationship over the years. The Puss in Boots star shared several of their sweet memories on the Dec. 13 episode of E! News, including the adorable nickname Dakota dubbed him.
"She called me 'Paponio," the 62-year-old told E! News' Francesca Amiker. "I am 'Papi' and 'Antonio' altogether, so she always called me 'Paponio.'"
With the holidays fast approaching, Antonio shared that he and Dakota don't have any upcoming plans to reunite, mainly because, "Dakota became a very busy person," he said, "and she's working all the time."
In fact, Antonio said the last two times he met up with the Fifty Shades of Grey star were at film festivals. But there's one event they both attended that holds a special place in his heart. In 2019, Dakota presented him with the Hollywood Actor Award for his role in Pain And Glory at the Hollywood Film Awards.
"She gave it to me and she gave one of the most beautiful speeches that anybody has given me," the actor shared. "So, I was very thankful to know that she thought that about Papi."
Another close person in Antonio's life is his fellow actor and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish co-star Salma Hayek. Having first met while working on the 1995 film Desperado, the star told E! News that they have "kept the relationship going as friends for many years."
"Worked together again in Frida after that, and then came Puss in Boots, and we've done two of those," he continued. And in addition to 2021's Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, the two have starred in a total of five films together.
Tune in to E! News tonight at 11:30 p.m. on E! for more of today's entertainment stories.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish premieres in theaters Dec. 21.
(E! and Universal Studios are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)