NEW YORK CITY – It’s no surprise that Javier Bardem, an Oscar winner for crafting one of the past decade’s most memorable villains, has been able to return to the dark side with such success in “Skyfall.”
As Silva, James Bond’s newest deadly adversary, Bardem creates such an indelible impression that he towers over a movie he doesn’t enter until roughly an hour in.
I sat down with the “No Country For Old Men” star in New York City last month and he admitted his early misgivings about taking on the “Skyfall” role.
“When I feel that I’m really attracted to some material, then I start to feel insecure,” admits Bardem, who credits director Sam Mendes with convincing him to sign on.
Bardem also discusses the key difference between Anton Chigurh and his new character.
“In ‘No Country For Old Men’ it was an iconic, symbolic idea of fate — bad fate, horrible fate and violence. There was no humanity behind that. In this case, it’s a human being. It’s a person,” he explains.
In the interview, Bardem also touches on Silva’s distinctive look and the important of making sure that in addition to being terrified, he’s also quite funny.
“Skyfall” opens domestically on Friday, November 9. You can also check out my interviews with Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench.