Spanish actors are often credited with the role of such heartthrobs, whose irrepressible passionate temperament extends not only within the framework of work on the set, but also within the reach of female gazes. Curious facts about Javier Bardem destroy the stereotype.
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- The best films featuring this wonderful actor.
Restraint, modesty, moderation, coupled with an unsurpassed “hooligan” sense of humor paint the image of a talented, educated professional, an exemplary family man, an ideal man, ready to waste himself on only one beloved woman.
Biography of Javier Bardem
1. Raised by women.
The father of the family divorced his wife Pilar when Javier was 2 years old. The mother, forced to raise three children alone, moved to the capital of Spain, where there were more opportunities.
2. Acting dynasty.
Grandfather, grandmother, and mother of the future star also successfully tried themselves in the acting field, and my uncle succeeded in directing and writing scripts. Like her older brother Carlos, sister Monica is remembered for several outstanding film roles.
3. First experience on camera.
At the age of 5-6 years old, little Javier spent a lot of time in film studios and on theater stages. At this time, he managed to play his first role in a serial film by the recognized master Fernando Gomez. The work was called "El picaro".
4. I dreamed of becoming an artist.
Javier entered art school at a young age and saw the future in this applied art, the path to triumph. To pay for the courses, I worked part-time as an actor, but quickly realized that the current way of earning money allows me to show myself in a more attractive, interesting light. Realizing that he did not have the necessary abilities to perpetuate his name among brilliant painters, he gave in to his natural inclination towards acting.
5. Played rugby.
This sport, atypical for colorful Spain, has revealed serious potential. Bardem became a player on the national royal team and, confirming the non-trivial nature of his hobby, later compared himself to a bullfighter in the Land of the Rising Sun.
6. Superman and stripper rolled into one.
At the age of 20, Javier participated in the filming of humorous sketches, his duties included appearing in front of the camera lens in a comic book superhero costume. Among the specialties tested in his youth: a security guard at a club, a prose writer, an explicit dancer. A career in striptease began and ended within one day.
Career
For the first time, the boy understood what it meant to be a screen master at the age of 6, when he appeared in a short episode of the television series “The Dodger.”
At the age of 20, the young man was attacked by hooligans, who beat the young man quite badly and broke his nose. But Javier's physical disability became his highlight.
A year later, a film called “The Ages of Lulu” was released, where Bardem made his debut in a cameo role. His first professional film work brought considerable success to the aspiring actor, and already in 1991 he received his first leading role in the film “Ham, Ham.”
At some point, the former glory of the actress mother faded away and the family’s financial situation worsened. At that time, not yet very popular, Bardem had to work as a stripper in order to get quick and easy money, while his mother got a job as a cleaner.
Javier continued to star in minor cameos. Films with controversial titles appeared in his arsenal, such as: “Mouth to Mouth”, “Ecstasy”, “Golden Eggs”, “Titka and the Moon” and a number of others.
In 1994, the film “Counted Days” was released on the big screen, for which the young man received his first career award. This is how the film actor becomes more and more famous.
Time passed, and minor roles were replaced by major ones and vice versa. And then 2008 came - the most significant year in Bardem’s acting career. Javier became the first Spanish film actor in history to receive the world's most prestigious film award, the Oscar. His performance in the film called “No Country for Old Men” created a real sensation not only among the audience, but also among his colleagues. Moreover, thanks to this role, awards such as the Golden Globe and BAFTA appeared in the man’s baggage.
The actor's filmography includes about 40 film works. Javier’s performance can be seen in such films as “Eat Pray Love”, “The Counselor”, “Pirates of the Caribbean 5”, “Escobar” and many others.
Javier Bardem's career
7. Mother's protection.
Javier Bardem played his first significant role in the film “The Age of Lulu.” He was recommended to participate in the filming by his mother, Senora Pilar, who kept her son company in the process.
8. Long-awaited success.
The main role in the cinematic work of the famous Spanish director Bigas Luna brought Javier international recognition and a prestigious award - the Silver Lion from the jury of the Venice Festival.
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9. Appeal to drama.
Bardem's deep dramatic talent was revealed after the release of Before Night Falls. This happened in 2000. The film was based on a biographical story about the Cuban writer of non-traditional sexual orientation Reynaldo Arenas. The work was awarded nominations for the Golden Globe and Oscar.
10. The highest award.
After the appearance of Julian Schnabel's film, Bardem received a call from Al Pacino to congratulate the newly minted star on the sensation he had created and to note the outstanding quality of the acting. Javier was not at home, Al Pacino left a message on the answering machine. The recording became a precious relic for the Spaniard, who elevates the American actor to the status of God, being an absolute atheist in the traditional sense.
11. Oscar.
In 2007, the Coen brothers decided to implement a project called “No Country for Old Men.” The creators saw Bardem as the main negative character. He did not immediately agree to the proposal: his English was far from perfect. Subsequently, the embodiment of Anton Chigurh allowed Bardem to become the first Spanish actor to win the coveted statuette for a supporting role.
12. Turned out to be preferable to Johnny Depp.
In the film Love in the Time of Cholera, Javier Bardem played the role of Florentino Ariza. Initially, in the film adaptation of Marquez’s novel, the hero of the multi-part pirate saga claimed her.
13. Became an enemy of agent 007.
In 2012, the 23rd James Bond film was released, where Daniel Craig played a British intelligence officer, and Bardem became his antagonist. “007: Skyfall” received 5 nominations for the main award of the American Film Academy.
14. Armando Salazar and 3 hours of make-up work.
In 2020, the fifth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series was released. Bardem got the image of a ghostly captain with an appearance typical of the mystical characters of this film. During the auditions, the alternative version was embodied by Christoph Waltz, known for the works of Quentin Tarantino. Austrian stiffness gave way to the burning Spanish temper.
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15. Upcoming premiere.
In the summer of 2020, the premiere of a film about the legendary drug trafficker, who created a powerful network of cartels throughout Colombia and beyond, Pablo Escobar, will premiere in Russia. Bardem read many scripts on this topic, but only Fernando Aranoa was able to “hook” the candidate for the role of the main character: in other cases, Javier lacked the “depth” of revealing the fate of a world-famous criminal.
Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem is a Spanish actor, born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, on the Canary Islands. His mother Pilar Bardem was an actress, and his father José Carlos Encinas Doussinage was an environmental businessman. Almost immediately after Javier was born, his parents divorced. There are a lot of people in the Bardem family associated with the world of cinema: the actor’s grandfather Rafael Bardem was a director, his grandmother Matilda Muñoz Sampedro was an actress, and his uncle Juan Antonio Bardem was a director and screenwriter. His sister Monica and brother Carlos also became actors. In his early years, Javier spent a lot of time in theaters and on film sets. At the age of 6, he made his television debut when he appeared in Fernando Fernan Gomez’s series “The Dodger.”
Bardem didn't always want to become an actor. Before following in the footsteps of his mother and other relatives, he was a member of the Spanish national rugby team and enjoyed painting. It was painting that became his first passion, and he entered an art and industrial school, and to pay for his studies, he began a career as an actor. Later he realized that he would not be an artist and abandoned this idea.
Movies with Javier Bardem
Viewers first noticed Javier in 1990 in the film “The Ages of Lulu” by Bigasa Luna. Two years later, the actor played in the black comedy Love, Sex and Ham, and this role not only made him popular, but also brought him several awards. After such films as “Golden Eggs”, “Mouth to Mouth”, “Between the Legs” and “Ecstasy” were released one after another with Bardem’s participation, the image of a sexy and brutal Spanish macho was assigned to him. However, in 1994, Javier brilliantly portrayed a terrorist in the film “A Few Days” by Imanol Uribe, was named best supporting actor and received the national Goya Award. Two years later, the actor received his second award for his role in the film “Face to Face,” winning in the “Best Actor” category. After successfully playing the roles, Bardem was noticed by Hollywood directors.
In 2002, Javier Bardem appeared on screens in John Malkovich's directorial debut Dancer Upstairs and the Spanish-language film Sunny Mondays. Two years later, the actor came under close attention from the press after his role in Alejandro Amenábar’s film “The Sea Within,” which received many prestigious international awards, including the prize for best actor at the Venice Film Festival. Javier can also be seen in an episode of Michael Mann's Collateral, starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. In 2006, Bardem appeared in the title role in Milos Forman's film Goya's Ghosts, and a year later he brought to life the merciless killer Anton Chigurh in the film No Country for Old Men. She was a stunning success, was awarded 8 Oscar nominations, winning 4 victories, and Javier himself received the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for Best Supporting Actor. He portrayed a maniac so realistically on screen that critics proclaimed his hero a standard negative character.
Another striking project in Bardem’s filmography was Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008), for which the actor received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2010, Javier was awarded the Cannes Film Festival for Best Actor in the Mexican film "Beautiful", and also received Oscar and BAFTA nominations for it. In the same year, Bardem played in the melodrama Eat, Pray, Love, a film adaptation of the autobiographical work of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert, where the main role went to Julia Roberts. In 2012, the actor played the role of the main villain in the next part of the Bond film “007: Skyfall” and in the same year received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Javier can also be seen in the films “To the Wonder” (2012), “Scorpio in Love” (2013), “The Counselor” (2013), “The Last Face” (2015) and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” (2017) .
Personal life of Javier Bardem
In 2010, Bardem married actress Penelope Cruz, whom he had previously dated for three years. The actors knew each other for many years, but their relationship always remained friendly, and the passion between them flared up only on the set of the film “Vicky, Christina, Barcelona.” The couple have two children - son Leonardo Encinas Cruz and daughter Luna Encinas Cruz.
Personal life of Javier Bardem
16. Informal relationships.
The actor’s romance with Christina Pales lasted 10 years. A translator by profession, she actively helped Bardem delve into the nuances of spoken and literary speech in English. Often the language barrier prompted the Spaniard to refuse roles in Hollywood, even when offers came from famous directors. The relationship with Christina ended without much scandal.
17. Passion while the spotlights are on.
Maria Garcia-Porrero became a bright passion while working together on the film “The Sea Within.” A woman at this time had the status of a married lady and mother of many children. The novel ended with the film's final credits.
18. Penelope waited, but how else?
Bardem met Penelope Cruz in 1992 when they played an on-screen couple in the film Ham, Ham. Then the future betrothed of the enviable groom was only 18, and Javier himself was 23. In 2007, Woody Allen brought the couple together again, using the tandem in the melodrama Vicky Cristina Barcelona. An emotionally light film with an element of comedy brought Penelope two priceless prizes - an Oscar and the heart of Javier Bardem.
19. Declared his love in front of millions.
In 2010, Bardem took the stage to receive an award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in the drama “Beautiful.” As part of the thank you speech, the winner uttered intimate words addressed to his beloved Penelope. She was in the auditorium and responded with an air kiss, sent to deafening applause from the touched audience.
20. Wedding on the islands.
The lovers took vows of fidelity and love in a narrow circle of family and friends. The ceremony took place in the Bahamas at the mansion of a friend of the groom.
21. Children.
In 2011, the couple had their first child, Leonardo, and 2013 was marked by the birth of their daughter Luna. The children inherited their mother's surname and father's middle name.
Movies
The twenty-year-old actor’s serious debut was his work in the film “The Ages of Lulu,” where he was invited under the patronage of his mother. The young artist impressed the director of the film, Bigas Luna, and he invited Javier to star in his next film, “Ham, Ham.” The comedy gained fame not only in Spain: at the Venice Festival its father.
Javier Bardem in his youth
Interestingly, it was on the set of this film that Javier met Penelope Cruz for the first time. But then their romance did not work out: the girl was only 16 years old, and she was just starting her acting career.
After the first films, Javier began to be invited to extravagant and provocative films: “Golden Eggs”, “Mouth to Mouth”, “Between the Legs”, “Ecstasy”. But in order to enter the world stage, the young Spaniard needed to master the English language perfectly and star in an English-language film. And such a moment came in 1996, when his Hollywood compatriot called Bardem to his project “Perdita Durango”.
In his youth, the actor worked to create an on-screen image of a womanizer, a passionate lover, but later he managed to get out of this role.
Javier is noticed in Hollywood, and on the eve of the Millennium, the actor receives an invitation to the film, which discovered a great dramatic actor in him. For his role as fugitive Cuban homosexual poet Reynaldo Arenas in Julian Schnabel's drama Before Night Falls, Bardem was nominated in 2001 for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actor, but he never received the award.
Javier Bardem in the movie No Country for Old Men
After the premiere of this film, Al Pacino himself called the promising Spaniard and expressed his admiration for his performance. Javier still keeps this recording of his idol’s voice.
The actor continues his creative growth, starring in such films as the tragicomedy “Mondays in the Sun,” the drama “The Sea Inside,” and the historical drama “Ghosts of Goya.” For each job, Javier prepares a lot; he does a lot of internal work on transformation. Therefore, each film does not go unnoticed by film critics, and Bardem’s awards regularly include either the national Goya Award or a statuette from the Cannes Film Festival.
Javier Bardem at the Oscars
The artist's finest hour was his work in the Coen brothers' 2007 thriller No Country for Old Men, where Javier played a villainous killer. The artist, at first delighted with the script, discovered that it contained many scenes of violence, blood, and murder. In addition, Bardem was still not fluent in English and did not know how to drive a car at all. But the producers convinced him to play in the film, which ultimately brought Javier his first Oscar.
Bardem became the first Spaniard to receive such an honor from the Cinematographers Guild. The artist also received a personal star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.
Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts
Javier’s subsequent striking works can be considered his filming in the romantic melodrama “Eat, Pray, Love,” in which he played together with Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. The film was shot in Bali and brought a lot of positive emotions to all participants.
Bardem also successfully appeared in the famous Bond movie. In 2012, he starred in the James Bond film 007: Skyfall, which was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the popular franchise. Javier played James Bond's rival - his dark double. By profession, Javier's hero is also a retired agent who, for personal reasons, takes revenge on Agent 007.
General facts
22. Name and physical details.
Full name: Javier Angel Encinas Bardem. Height is 181 cm, weight is 80 kg. The owner of developed muscles, due to his sports hobbies.
23. Place of birth.
He was born on the first day of March 1969 in the province of Las Palmas, located within the borders of the Canary Islands archipelago.
24. Attitude to appearance.
The actor does not consider himself a sex idol; he describes Brad Pitt as such. Bardem speaks ironically about his appearance, perceives it as a fact of secondary importance that does not require intervention.
25. Indifferent to luxury.
An actor drives a car only if the actual role requires it. In real life, he prefers walking, and limits gastronomic delights to simple preferences: scrambled eggs, potatoes, part of a pork ham.
Notable Facts
26. Broken nose.
Bardem has undergone plastic surgery in his life: his nose has an imperfect shape. In the early 90s, one day the future female idol went to a bar. There a man approached him and asked his name. The honest answer did not suit his counterpart, and he hit Bardem in the face.
27. Family business.
Bardem was one of the owners of the La Bardemcilla restaurant; the manager was Javier’s sister Monica. The establishment is located in Madrid, the management changed in the spring of 2013.
28. Visited Antarctica.
At the beginning of 2020, Bardem went on a distant expedition as part of a group of environmentalists from the Greenpeace organization. The purpose of the trip was to draw attention to the global problem of pollution of ocean waters and to organize a protected area.
29. Hypochondriac.
At times, the popular actor wonders why acting became his calling when he dreams of helping those in need on the African continent. There is a problem: it is difficult to save others when you yourself constantly suffer from imaginary ailments.
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30. A very shy person.
Bardem believes that the world is going crazy if his portraits are printed on glossy covers under provocative headlines. The popular actor admits: he is shy, which sometimes prevents him from working on camera with the proper degree of professionalism, but this is what he does best.
His activities, actions in the frame and behind him are imbued with individual charisma, from which it is impossible to move away or hide behind complex makeup, unusual hairstyle or contact lenses. Interesting facts about Javier Bardem eloquently confirm the thesis: talent is some part of success, which is achieved in the full sense solely through hard work and healthy stubbornness.
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Love is not according to script
Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz finally got married. Her chosen one was her Spanish colleague Javier Bardem. The wedding took place in the Bahamas in early July, but the news about it only appeared yesterday.
The 36-year-old bride wore a dress designed by her friend John Galliano. Cruz and Bardem met in 1992 on the set of the film Jamon, Jamon. For the girl, this was only the second film role, and she had to play an erotic scene with Bardem. Because of her shyness, which Cruz has not yet gotten rid of, she was very worried, cried and refused to film. Only Bardem was able to calm her down, asking the director to postpone filming the scene for one day. In the evening, she and Cruz rehearsed, talked, and in the end she was able to trust the actor on the set.
By the end of filming, Penelope and Javier were already bosom friends. But things didn’t go any further, although, as director Bigas Luna says, “Javier fell in love with Pe immediately, completely and irrevocably.”
Cruz came to international fame in 1999 after the Cannes Film Festival opened with Pedro Almodóvar’s film “All About My Mother” with her participation. She began acting in Hollywood with famous actors. One of them, Tom Cruise, became her boyfriend for two and a half years. Arriving home, Penelope shared with Javier the details of her relationship with the star, calling Tom the most generous man in the world. However, two years later the couple separated, remaining friends. The ex-girlfriend was even one of the first to see the actor’s newborn daughter from Katie Holmes.
After Cruise, another Hollywood actor, Matthew McConaughey, became her chosen one. Cruz was with him for two years, and Bardem again turned out to be the confidant in the affairs of the heart of the sultry brunette. He jealously dissuaded his beloved from having children with McConaughey, because her new admirer was like a child himself: he lived in a trailer, flatly refusing to move into an ordinary house, drank a lot and generally showed irresponsibility in every possible way. Which ultimately became the reason for their breakup.
After grieving for some time, the actress plunged headlong into work. She simultaneously starred with Woody Allen and Pedro Almodóvar. On the set of the film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” she again worked with Bardem. It seemed to her that Allen was filming too quickly and therefore she did not have time to get used to the character. She shared her thoughts with an old friend, and he offered his help - he asked Cruz to tell her how she sees her heroine. What happened next, history is silent. But, they say, the next day both actors came to the set with glowing faces.
Nevertheless, the affair was carefully hidden. Bardem didn't even go to the Oscars, where Cruz was presented with an award for the film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. But in May it became known that the actress was pregnant, and reporters immediately guessed who the future happy father was.
Note that after the start of the novel, the careers of both actors went uphill. Cruz won an Oscar for best supporting actress for Woody Allen's film, while 41-year-old Bardem won the same award for No Country for Old Men and the best actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Receiving the award, he told the audience: "I share this joy with my friend, companion and beloved Penelope: I owe you a lot and I love you very much." After these words, the actress shed tears.
