Spanish star Javier Bardem has thanked the BFI London Film Festival audience for coming out early on Sunday morning to attend a Screen Talk session with him.
Bardem, whose other half, Penelope Cruz, is also in the spotlight this year (thanks to a trio of hot films: La Bola Negra, The invitation And Bunker), is in the British capital to promote his project and that of Cruz Bunker as well as The belovedin which he co-starred with Victoria Luengo.
During the intervention, Bardem spoke about a brilliant career, from his childhood in one of the most prestigious acting families in Spain to his victory at the Oscars and, this year, his fear of the stage.
In one of the session’s lighter moments, Bardem, known for his roles in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) and the Dune franchise, spoke about his initial rejection of one of his most iconic roles, that of Judi Dench’s villainous but sexually magnetic former agent Raoul Silva, in 2012’s M. Skyfall.
The actor said of initially turning down the role: “I guess I was nervous. Like, ‘What am I doing in the James Bond movie? What can I do?’ But then we sat down. Sam Mendes is a genius, and we read it, and he was so open to what I was proposing, which was about the guy’s sexuality.
Bardem thought outside the box when it came to his portrayal of Silva and introduced him to the filmmaker. “I said, ‘Look, all the bad guys have done everything they can to destroy the world, but what about getting personal? What about anything other than destroying the world? (Like) he wants to sleep with Mr. Bond?’ And (Mendes) said, ‘I’ll talk to the studio and I’ll get back to you,'” Bardem said, bursting into laughter, before referencing one of the film’s notable scenes where Bardem’s character suggestively caresses the thighs of a tied-up Daniel Craig.
Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem in “Skyfall”
Everett
“The studio was very brave,” Bardem continued. “And I think that scene sticks in the audience’s memory… Because we took it a little further. It’s a way of saying, ‘Okay, how can you really put Mr. Bond out of place in a situation where he’s never been there before?’ And the way he pulls it off is brilliant.
Bardem has expressed disbelief, to this day, at having shared the screen with Dame Judi Dench, and even admitted to forgetting his lines when Mendes first called for action because he realized where he was. “(Mendes) said, ‘Cut! Javier, what’s happening?’ (I said), “Well, sorry, I just realized I’m in a James Bond movie.” Excuse me, I just saw Judi Dench and James Bond looking at me and they were like, “Fuck! I’m in a James Bond movie! Sorry, let’s start again. I was absolutely captivated by the joy.
Unfortunately, the Bond franchise star wasn’t asked about who he thinks would make a good Bond for Denis Villeneuve’s next film for Amazon MGM Studios, as rumors continue to swirl around who could next don the tuxedo of Ian Fleming’s beloved spy.
Bardem has taken audiences through a prolific filmography, including some impressive Spanish-language projects like Jamón Jamón (1992) and Biutiful (2010). When the discussion turned to his Oscar-winning role in the Coen brothers’ film No country for old people (2007), audiences were able to see the nail-biting toss-up scene between Bardem’s terrifying killer, Anton Chigurh, and supporting actor Gene Jones.
“Half of the Oscar that I have belongs to him,” Bardem said of Jones, who only appears in this single four-minute scene. “Because he plays fear and insecurity and uncertainty so well that he makes the scene,” the star explained. “I do my part, but he’s horrible. He’s fantastic. That’s what I mean: you don’t work alone. You need your partners. You have to create a moment of sharing.”
Towards the end of the session, when asked what advice he would give to aspiring actors making their debut in the industry, he joked: “Choose another job. Why would you do that to yourself?” He then continued: “No, it’s a great job. And in this world of AI, where many other jobs are unfortunately going to disappear, being able to be a person who shows emotion and has a connection with the audience, it’s an important job to have and to preserve, because it creates a bond between us.”
at Florian Zeller BunkerAlso starring Stephen Graham, Paul Dano and Patrick Schwarzenegger, follows a renowned architect who is offered the chance to secretly design a survival bunker for a billionaire convinced the end of the world is near. As he becomes seduced by this morally ambiguous project, his wife begins to question their marriage.
Rodrigo Sorogoyen The belovedmeanwhile, stars Bardem as a two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker who plays his ex-daughter in his new period piece.
The 70th BFI London Film Festival runs from October 7-18.
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