Javier Bardem is one of the best actors the world has ever seen. The Spanish actor first rose to fame back in 1992 for his role in Jamon Jamon. Bardem is an incredibly well-established actor with multiple awards under his name including an Academy award for his role in the 2007 blockbuster, No Country for Old Men. The actor portrayed the role of a psychopathic hitman, Anton Chigurh in the movie and he played the part so well that everyone who watched the film got terrified of the character.
Javier Bardem was in fact so good in No Country for Old Men, that Julia Roberts was initially afraid to work with the Spanish actor in Eat Pray Love.
Julia Roberts was afraid of working with Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love
Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts acted in the 2010 biographical drama film, Eat Pray Love together. Once in an interview, Julia Roberts revealed that she was initially terrified of working with Javier Bardem because of his performance in No Country for Old Men. She said,
“It’s been well reported that I was a little terrified to be around him after No Country For Old Men and I’m sorry to say at one point that he pulls out a picture of him from [that movie]. I’d just gotten a grip on the way he really looks and then he gets me back.“
On the other hand, Bardem just considered himself lucky to act in a movie with Roberts. The Spanish actor revealed how he felt after he got the offer to work in a movie alongside Julia Roberts. He said,
“Oh, how does it feel? Yes, wonderful! They make me the offer, I have to wait a few seconds before I say ‘yes.’ I didn’t shout, ‘Si, si, si, claro que si, hombre!’ (‘Yes, yes, yes, of course yes, man’) — but that’s how I felt.“
Although Roberts was initially terrified of Bardem, she eventually realized what a sweetheart he was after working with him in Eat Pray Love.
Julia Roberts told the Skyfall actor that she was initially terrified of working with him
After working with him in Eat Pray Love, Julia Roberts found that Javier Bardem was nothing like his No Country for Old Men persona. She said, “He comes across as incredibly comfortable with his acting and his performing. It really does put you at ease.” Roberts further revealed in an interview that she even told this to him personally near the end of filming of the movie. She said,
“I said to him near the end, ‘I thought you’d be so intense and broody and weird. I’d have to be handling you and stuff, and you’re so sweet and funny and this was so easy.'”
Also read: “They’ve Done an Amazing Job”: Javier Bardem Responds to Dune 2 Script, Praises Denis Villeneuve
Despite being an absolute sweetheart off-set, Julia Roberts wasn’t the only celebrity that Javier Bardem terrified with his performance in No Country for Old Men. The Spanish actor once revealed in an interview that he played his role so well that he even terrified himself.
No Country for Old Men and Eat Pray Love both movies are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Digital Spy and The Japan Times
