SF Gate reports on how actor Antonio Banderas took to playing the role of Pablo Picasso in his new movie, 'Genius: Picasso.' Banderas takes on this role that has long haunted him, one he’d spent years avoiding, of the protean artist who cast a huge shadow in his hometown, where he grew up during the reign of dictator Francisco Franco. Banderas says, “Picasso was enormous in Málaga, we didn’t have many heroes.