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Feb.6,2005 -Feb.13,2005 |
Inside a Sea of Deep Emotions
Spanish heartthrob Javier Bardem plays Ramon Sampedro
By Angela Baldassarre
Originally Published: 2005-01-30
Though hunky stars Orlando Bloom and Colin Firth are sitting only several feet away, it's towards a handsome Spaniard that female gazes are turning to this particular afternoon in Toronto. Javier Bardem was introduced to American audiences in the black comedy Jamon, Jamon in 1992, turning him into an international sex symbol. Although he turned down various other parts that would only capitalize on his good looks, the gorgeous 35-year-old actor continued to turn heads particularly when he played persecuted gay Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls (2000), earning himself an Oscar nomination.
Bardem, who comes from a family of Spanish actors and is still the only Spanish thespian ever to receive an Oscar nomination, is now playing a 55 year old in Alejandro Amenabar's Golden Globe-winning The Sea Inside.
The film is based on the touching, true story of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro who, following a swimming accident that left him a quadriplegic, fought for nearly 30 years to be allowed to die with dignity. With the help of several friends, the poet and writer was able to take his own life in 1998, despite protests from the government and the Catholic Church.
Tandem talked to Javier Bardem when he was in Toronto.
I understand you went through a lengthy make-up process to look 55.
"Yeah, five or six hours every day. I'd go there at five o'clock in the morning, I'd start shooting at 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. And it was all in my face. Jo Allen is an amazing makeup artist, and she did this amazing job. And when I saw it, I felt very comfortable. I felt like she did 50 percent of my character. But it was so undignified to be very still. When she was done I saw my father. That was nice, but it was kind of scary for that to happen in less than five hours."
You also had to gain weight...
"I had to have the weight in my face. He had a very round face. The hard thing was not gaining weight on my body because he wasn't heavy. So we basically had to hide my weight gain in order for me to have the face I wanted."
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