Ep 162. Javier Bardem
Acclaimed Spanish actor Javier Bardem comes from a long line of artists and filmmakers, but his love of cinema officially took shape when his mother, a working actress herself, snuck him into a movie theater to see Bob Fosse\u2019s\xa0All that Jazz when he was 6 years old.\xa0It wasn\u2019t exactly a Disney movie, but that didn\u2019t matter\u2014Javier was in awe. He wondered, \u201cWhat is this mechanism of people, feelings, dance, music, colors, drama, and comedy? I want to be a part of\xa0that.\u201d\n\nHis passion and dedication to the craft are evident in his work\u2014take his award-winning performances in the Coen brothers\u2019\xa0No Country for Old Men\xa0and\xa0I\xf1\xe1rritu\u2019s\xa0Biutiful, to name a few. In his newest film\xa0Loving Pablo, Javier takes on the legend and mythology of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and takes on an intensity and physicality that was even intimidating to his costar and wife Pen\xe9lope Cruz. But Javier and Pen\xe9lope know the difference between fiction and reality. As Javier says, \u201cAt the end of the day, I give her flowers and chocolates and say, \u2018That was a lie.\u2019 Even though it\u2019s a part of my truth as a human being.\u2019\u201d\n\nHonesty is everything for Javier, even though it\u2019s hard to attain on a daily basis. \u201cWe tell so many lies during the day because we need to protect who we are for others. When you play a character, you have to give up on that and be naked. And that\u2019s why actors love acting\u2014it may be the only time in the day where we are honest.\u201d\n\nJavier joins\xa0Off Camera\xa0to talk about how being the target of senseless violence led him to discover his worth as an artist, why his marriage to Pen\xe9lope Cruz\xa0works, and why therapy is the perfect tool for an actor.