What star of "The Mask of Zorro" voices the lead role in "Puss in Boots"?

Antonio Banderas, star of "The Mask of Zorro," voices the lead character in "Puss in Boots."

Banderas first played the masked swordsman Don Diego de la Vega, or Zorro, in the 1998 adventure film "The Mask of Zorro." His charismatic performance, Spanish accent, and swashbuckling style helped make him a natural choice for the voice of Puss, a small but self-assured Spanish-accented cat introduced in "Shrek 2."

Puss debuted in 2004 and quickly became one of the franchise’s most recognizable characters. The animators studied Banderas’s performance as Zorro when shaping Puss’s movements and personality, creating an intentional connection between the two characters.

The connection is easy to miss because Banderas is heard rather than seen in the animated films. He voiced Puss in the "Shrek" sequels, the 2011 spin-off "Puss in Boots," and its 2022 sequel, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." Other language dubs may use different actors, but Banderas is the original English-language voice.