Antonio Banderas beams with pride as daughter Stella joins him on the red carpet

Antonio Banderas had a very special date for his latest red carpet appearance – his daughter, Stella Banderas.

The 66-year-old icon stepped out with his only daughter at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17 for the world premiere of Up Against It, the new comedy-drama directed by Trudie Styler. 

The film brought plenty of Hollywood attention to Toronto, but it was the father-daughter duo who stole the spotlight.

Stella, 30, looked effortlessly chic in a fitted black midi dress with an asymmetric neckline and draped detailing as she posed beside her dad. 

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Up Against It marks Antonio’s return to film after spending recent years heavily involved in theater and producing. 

The movie follows a divorced couple who are forced to confront an impossible situation involving their sick daughter. Antonio stars alongside Forest Whitaker and Úrsula Corberó.

Stella will soon celebrate an anniversary in October

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The Toronto appearance comes almost a year after Stella married Alex Gruszynski in a romantic ceremony at the Abadía Retuerta in Valladolid, Spain. 

The couple’s love story goes way back. They first met as children at the Wagon Wheel School in Los Angeles and had known each other for decades before tying the knot.

Antonio was understandably emotional throughout the celebration. While speaking to reporters outside the wedding, he admitted there had been some tears. 

“They have known each other since they were four years old. In the end, it’s a very long relationship, a 25-year relationship,” he said.

He later shared a series of photos from the wedding on Instagram, calling it “a heartfelt family reunion, emotional, joyful, and full of laughter.”

And when it came to his new son-in-law, Banderas made his feelings very clear before the wedding. “I love the man that [Stella] decided to get married with,” he told PEOPLE, explaining that what mattered most to him was that his daughter was loved.

“The only thing that I want if my daughter got into a relationship and now into a marriage is that she’s loved. Everything else I don’t care,” he added.

Antonio Banderas and Stella have always shared a close bond

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Antonio and his former wife, Melanie Griffith, welcomed Stella in 1996. She recently turned 30 on September 24. The actor has never been shy about how proud he is of his daughter, and their relationship has remained close despite living on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

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She has also followed her own creative path, studying narrative studies at the University of Southern California and acting, directing, and working on creative projects of her own. She launched her fragrance brand, Lightbound, in 2021, while also working in film and theater.

Antonio has opened up in the past about how he wants Stella to find her own way rather than trying to dictate what that looks like, including having children. 

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At the Starlite Occident Gala  last month, he was asked about the idea of being a grandpa, and he admitted, “I see myself wanting that, yes.” “The thing is, I don’t tell my daughter because I don’t want to impact her decisions. I’ve never done it and I never will,” he continued.

“I would be a wonderful grandfather,” Banderas continued. “I think about it, and it amazes me. It’s like a trick of time. So little ago, I came to this gala with Stella as a little girl,” he reminisced.