Actor Javier Bardem reports that natives of his home country of Spain blamed him for selling out after winning an Oscar last year.
Bardem won an Academy Award last year for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the ruthless killer Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. His win signified the first Spanish actor to win the prestigious award.
He states that he had to convince his countrymen that the win and his new found reputation did not change who he was:
“The Spanish are tough. They criticize my work and say I sold out. You want to say, ‘Stop it – you’re a bunch of stupid people.’ But you are never going to be liked by everybody. After the Oscars, I came back to Madrid, where I live. I wanted to get back to the real world. After something like the awards, you’ve changed a little bit, but everyone around you has changed tremendously. You have to bring them back – you have to show that you are the same stupid, limited guy and not this kind of golden boy.”
Bardem was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 for his lead role in Before Night Falls, but lost to Russell Crowe in Gladiator.
By Tessa Petrocco