In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast features in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy actors and creators. Join host and senior editor Vinnie Mancuso for this guide to living the creative life from those who are doing it every day.
Javier Bardem joins Backstage’s In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast to discuss his chilling, Golden Globe–nominated performance on Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” as well as recent projects like Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” and Josh Gordon and Will Speck’s “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.” The Oscar winner also dives into his philosophies toward acting and how he’s developed such a wide-ranging résumé of roles.
Listen and subscribe to In the Envelope to hear our full conversation with Bardem:
Bardem views acting as a form of connection.
“[In] most actors’ and actresses’ lives, there’s a moment you feel like: I want to belong. I want to be part of something. Forget about fame or celebrity or shit like that. I want to be part of a society that really accepts me for how I am. And in order for me to be able to show how I am, I have to maybe show parts of me that I’m not happy or especially proud of through the characters. But it’s a way to really approach you, to tell you: Hey, I am this as well, but I can be the opposite. I can be many things. Tell me it’s OK; tell me I’m safe; tell me it’s fine. Tell me I’m accepted. Tell me I’m loved.
Even amazing, talented geniuses—actors and actresses who are 70, 80 years old—I’m sure still go out there every night onstage to have that glimpse of a touch with the audience, because they need to be loved. For that, we put ourselves in a lot of risk. That’s why I think it’s a generous craft. We are willing to go to different places, down deep and out there, where we put ourselves in danger…in order for you not to understand us better…but also to try to make you understand yourself a little bit better.”
Javier Bardem in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” Credit: Miles Crist/Netflix
Although he was introduced to American audiences through intense, villainous roles, Bardem has found the most satisfaction in something more pleasant.
“ ‘No Country for Old Men’ has been seen a lot, and it’s funny because it’s been recuperated by a younger generation. I see younger people coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, I love “No Country for Old Men.” ’ I go, ‘Wow, where did you see it?’
But you know what is making me feel so emotional lately? When the children come to me to talk about ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.’ That makes me feel so emotional. Because it’s like, Wow, you can reach such a vulnerable, delicate brain in development…. When I see children coming to talk to me about how much they enjoy ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’—which is a very nice, light movie about love and being accepted—I love it. That makes me feel very proud of what I’m doing, because I can reach the most beautiful souls in the world, which are the children’s souls. And in a way that is with love. It’s not about violence. It’s not about monsters. It’s not about creepy things. It’s about singing and being nice to each other and accepting each other for what they are.”
For Bardem, acting is a gift—and selfishness has no place in it.
“The actors I like the most, they bring pleasure into it…. You see that they are working so hard, and they are really committed to bringing the very best of them to you. And they do it with the pleasure of knowing that that’s the only thing that they know how to do. [They say:] I was born to do this, and thank God I’m blessed enough to be able to do it for you. And that’s the pleasure. When it’s about them showing off, or them being so tortured, to remind us constantly how difficult and painful every process is… I go: No, life is too hard already.
Believe me, I respect everybody’s method, as long as those methods respect everybody’s process. You want to be in character 24/7? Absolutely fine. You want me to call you by your character’s name? Absolutely fine. You want me to give you my lines out of camera, dressed as the character? Fine, absolutely; you’ll have me. But in the moment where I see you behaving improperly and inappropriate with somebody—not me precisely, but somebody else in the crew, in the team, the actors, fellow actors—because that’s the way the character does it? No, I’m not gonna allow that. I don’t think that’s art. I think that’s abuse.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.