What should your legacy be? Unlike many other stars, Javier Bardem says he doesn’t really care about how people will remember him as an actor and would like instead to inspire his children to be empathetic.
After all, “the world is not an island but a continent”, the Oscar winning star of films such as No Country for Old Men and Vicky Cristina Barcelona told a news agency in an interview.
“I do what I can and some people will enjoy it and some won't. But I care about my kids… If I can give them something, (it would be) the inspiration to not forget about who they are and where they come from and feel empathy for others,” the 56–year–old said.
Javier, amongst the most sought after actors in Hollywood, is married to fellow star Penelope Cruz. They have two children, son Leo and daughter Luna. “No matter where they are, what moment or place in their life, they should try to understand and not forget other people... ,” he said in the phone interview from New York.
Now getting ready for his latest release, F1 with Brad Pitt, Javier said he has travelled to India just once. He was in New Delhi for all of 24 hours. “I couldn‘t really get much of the culture, of the land, of the people. But of course, I’m interested in such a huge, important part of the world that has so much effect on a lot of things, among them spirituality,’’ he said.
The actor, known for being politically outspoken and for his activism, said he was troubled by the gap between what he describes as “some of the richest men in the world and some of the poorest citizens”.
“It is always something that strikes me very hard. But I’m talking about things that I haven't witnessed myself with my own eyes, but, of course, I would love to one day do so," Javier, who has been in the movies for 35 years, said.
The Spanish actor has successfully crisscrossed between big tent–pole movies and more independent projects, be it Spanish films such as Jamón jamón and Biutiful or big budget Skyfall, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Dune.
Javier won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2008 for No Country for Old Men. He also received Oscar nominations for his performances in Before Night Falls (2000), Biutiful (2010) and Being the Ricardos (2021). Also starring Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Tobias Menzies, F1 will race into cinemas on Friday in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
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