Javier Bardem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Javier Bardem
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Bardem at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018
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Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem
1 March 1969 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1974–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
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| Awards | Full list |
Javier Bardem (born on March 1, 1969) is a famous Spanish actor. He has been acting for over 30 years. During this time, he has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award, seven Goya Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
Javier is the son of actress Pilar Bardem. He first became known for Spanish films like Jamón jamón (1992) and Mar adentro (2004). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in Before Night Falls (2000) and Biutiful (2010). He also received a nomination for playing Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos (2021).
One of his most famous roles was as the villain Anton Chigurh in the movie No Country for Old Men (2007). This role won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Javier Bardem has also starred in big Hollywood movies. These include the James Bond film Skyfall (2012) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). He also appeared in the science fiction movies Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). You might also know him as King Triton in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid (2023).
Javier Bardem married actress Penélope Cruz in 2010. They have two children together. In 2018, he became an ambassador for Greenpeace. He helps protect Antarctica.
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Javier Bardem's Early Life
Javier Bardem was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, on March 1, 1969. His mother, Pilar Bardem, was a well-known actress. His father was José Carlos Encinas Doussinague. Javier's parents separated when he was very young. His mother raised him and his older siblings, Carlos and Mónica. Both of his siblings also became actors.
Javier comes from a family with a long history in movies. His grandparents, Rafael Bardem and Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, were actors. His uncle, Juan Antonio Bardem, was a famous director and writer. As a child, Javier spent a lot of time around theaters and movie sets.
At age six, he appeared in his first film, El Pícaro. He also played rugby for the junior Spanish National Team. Even though his family was full of actors, Javier first wanted to be a painter. He studied painting for four years in Madrid. He took acting jobs to earn money, but he eventually decided acting was his true path.
Javier Bardem's Acting Career
Starting Out in the 1990s
Javier Bardem first gained attention in a small role in the movie The Ages of Lulu when he was 21. His mother, Pilar Bardem, was also in this film. The director of Lulu, Bigas Luna, was very impressed with Javier. He gave Javier the main male role in his next film, Jamón Jamón (1992). In this movie, Javier played a character who wanted to be an underwear model and a bullfighter. This film was very successful around the world. It also starred Penélope Cruz, who would later become his wife.
In 1997, Javier got his first English-speaking role. This was in the movie Perdita Durango. He played a bank robber in this film.
Becoming Famous: 2000-2011
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After acting in many films in Spain, Javier became known worldwide. This happened with his role in Before Night Falls (2000). In this movie, he played the Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas. For this role, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He was the first Spanish actor to receive this honor.
In 2007, Javier Bardem starred in two important films. One was the Coen brothers' movie No Country for Old Men. The other was Love in the Time of Cholera. In No Country for Old Men, he played a very scary assassin named Anton Chigurh. This role earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was the first Spaniard to win this award. He also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for this role. Many people consider his character, Anton Chigurh, one of the most realistic villains in movie history.
Javier Bardem also starred with Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). This role earned him another Golden Globe Award nomination.
An Established Career: 2012-Present
In 2010, Javier won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Biutiful. The director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, wrote the film especially for Javier. He also won his fifth Goya Award for Best Actor for Biutiful. He dedicated this award to his wife, Penélope Cruz, and their newborn son.
Later, Javier was offered the role of the villain Raoul Silva in the James Bond film Skyfall. He officially confirmed his role in an interview. This movie was a huge success.
On November 8, 2012, Javier Bardem received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for actors. His star is located outside the El Capitan Theatre.
In 2017, Javier played the main bad guy, Armando Salazar, in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He also starred in the horror film Mother! with Jennifer Lawrence. In 2018, he acted again with his wife Penélope Cruz in the film Everybody Knows.
In 2021, Javier Bardem played Stilgar in the science fiction movie Dune. He also starred as Julio Blanco in The Good Boss. His performance in The Good Boss was highly praised by critics. It won him another Goya Award for Best Actor. Also in 2021, he played Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos. For this role, he received his third Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Javier Bardem appeared in the movie Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022). He also played King Triton in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid (2023). In 2024, he returned as Stilgar in Dune: Part Two. He also played Jose Menendez in the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Javier Bardem's Personal Life
Marriage and Family
In 2007, Javier Bardem started dating actress Penélope Cruz. They had worked together in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. They like to keep their personal lives private. The couple got married in July 2010 in The Bahamas. They have two children: a son named Leo, born in 2011, and a daughter named Luna, born in 2013.
Javier has said that acting with his wife is easy. He feels they play their parts and then return to their real lives, which he finds more interesting than any movie story.
Interests
Javier Bardem's first language is Spanish, but he speaks English very well. He enjoys heavy metal music. He even says that the band AC/DC helped him learn English. He is also a fan of Pearl Jam. Javier does not drive cars in his daily life. He only drives for movie roles. He sees himself as a "worker" or "entertainer" rather than just an "actor."
Javier was raised as a Catholic, but he is now agnostic. This means he doesn't claim to know if God exists. He has supported gay marriage in Spain. He believes that science and belief should go together. Javier has also said he dislikes violence. This comes from a fight he had when he was younger that broke his nose.
Activism
Javier Bardem cares deeply about the Sahrawi people. He has spoken out to support them. He helped make a documentary film called Sons of the Clouds. This film shows the lives of people in Sahrawi refugee camps. In 2011, he worked with John Prendergast to raise awareness about conflict minerals in Congo.
In 2019, Javier spoke at a climate march in Madrid. He later apologized for using strong words during his speech. In 2024, he criticized Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip. He also spoke about the support Israel receives from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Awards and Recognitions
Javier Bardem has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his acting:
- 73rd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actor for Before Night Falls (2000)
- 80th Academy Awards: Won Best Supporting Actor for No Country for Old Men (2008)
- 83rd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actor for Biutiful (2010)
- 94th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actor for Being the Ricardos (2021)
Images for kids
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Bardem at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018
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Bardem at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival
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Bardem at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011
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Bardem receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside director Sam Mendes in 2012
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Bardem and his wife Penélope Cruz at the 32nd Goya Awards in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Javier Bardem para niños
- List of Spanish Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars
