Actor Javier Bardem, who plays the bad guy in the new James Bond film Skyfall, is not a fan of the celebrity culture in the United States and reckons that being a star there is “unpleasant”. The Oscar winner from Gran Canaria, who shot to fame as the implacable hit man in No Country For Old Men, has ruled out any possibility that he would ever consider a move to Los Angeles.
“I’m not interested in living in Hollywood,” Bardem told British tabloid newspaper The Sun. “I’ve not been seduced by it because I can’t drive and I find it tough to get around there. And I don’t want that kind of stardom where you have the pressure of being a star 24 hours a day. Being a celebrity in America is unpleasant. It is too high a price to pay for doing a job.” Bardem says that while there are actors who are well known in Europe, it does not compare to the “American star thing”, which he describes as “crazy”.
While he has no plans for relocation, Bardem admits that his success has made it harder for him to continue to live even in his native Spain and that he wishes to avoid the celebrity trap.
Nonetheless, Bardem admits that he loves acting, which not only made him an Oscar winner but also was responsible for introducing him to his actress wife, Penelope Cruz, who is another Academy Award winner.
Lance Grooms
