Javier Bardem Didn’t Think Anyone Would Watch “Before Night Falls” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you know it's funny we talk about these. things as. accidents but obviously so much training. Hard Work Talent. um you know I've been thinking about. your career. um how your mother uh was uh very famous. uh actress activist and you came from a. long line in Spain of actors and some. people say well it's in it's maybe it. sounds like a cliche to say it's in your. blood but it must be in your blood yeah. this this desire to do it and do it.

correctly absolutely and you were very. interested in art as a as a child you. were entertaining I mean were you not. educated as to sort of to be an artist. in some way well I I guess I was born. into it and I saw my mom and my uncle. was the director my mom was an actress. my grandparents were actors so everybody. was working in the thing and but I saw. the I saw more the Downs than the UPS. yeah there was a lot of unemployment.

there was a lot of struggle in trying to. make some money but I also saw that the. decency the honesty that the job will. bring to them and and what they will. bring to their job and how much. passionate they were about. uh about their craft yeah and and the. respect they have for nearly. the job but also the people that is in. the job and makes the job with them so I. like that very much I felt that was a.

nice way to to go and and once I decided. to become an actor I knew that I have to. really be. responsible for the surname but them. that belongs to many generations and. that's why I always try to do my best us. everybody I mean yeah but you know we. live in this uh culture now where people. want to be famous and they were. interested in being famous and over the. years I've had people that are. interested in doing comedy that say you. know I want to do what you're doing I.

want to be famous and I think it's not. the reason to do it being famous just. means you take selfies at a restaurant. um there isn't that much. there's not a lot to it it's a it's a. pretty thin soup there's not a lot of. sustenance to it you really have to love. what you're doing and uh I think that's. important for people to know that I mean. you were thinking you never thought to. yourself I'll make movies. internationally or I'll make movies in. the United States you you thought I.

might or I've read anyway that you. thought this might be I might just work. in my whole life in Spain absolutely as. an actor and that would be fine I not. only that I I thought I I may be I may. not be able to make a living out of this. but I don't know what to do else I don't. know what else to do I mean I'm not I'm. very clumsy I don't know I don't know. anything you know what many of the. actors I know and actresses are very. like me like they only know how to. perform they don't know how to do. anything else and that's fine if you. know at least to do one thing in your.

life and you're lucky enough to make a. living out of that you are blessed and I. guess I bet on that and I bet on that. and I've always seen. my steps like uh as you were saying with. Silva in the sky for like Little Steps. like I never imagined or thought of. myself going to anything big or. achieving this or that it's like what if. I make. this job and I and it's good enough for. them to call me again and thus still.

what I think of when I make a movie or. make something is like okay is that. really bad is that bad enough for them. not to call me or or can I keep on going. and and that's something that I guess I. got from my family because everybody was. waiting for the phone to ring and I. guess I have that fear still like it's. not gonna ring anymore but that's fine. because that gives me the drive yeah the. Nerf and the drive yeah did you ever. think to yourself how do I make this. jump or did they come to you were you.

recognized and people said okay we have. to get Javier Bardem and that's how it. how it happened. no I I it's funny it's it's it's it's. one accident after the other I mean my. two biggest. movies that really open the market to me. in Spain and out of Spain were. accidental one the one hamon Jamon uh I. was a company my sister to make an. audition. and I watch it in down near near her and.

then they asked me do you want to come. in and do an audition as a Nightline I. wonder yeah come in okay and they gave. me the job and and and before night. falls apart your sister won. put on this wig same with the Bond film. another wig yeah exactly your sister was. this close to being silver and then you. had to go to the audition with her. and the other one before they fought. with Julian's novel I met him in a party.

in New York and he said you would you. like to make a movie in English and it's. like no I don't want it and speak. English I said well why don't you try. and read this and and I was going to. play this little role and I said okay. I'll try to I'll play that as a as an. experiment but then the person who was. going to play the lead Phillip art from. the priate and he told me will you do it. no I don't I don't want to do it yeah. you are doing it you have a month I said. oh okay I'll try and then I did it.

but I know I never expected that anybody. will watch that movie yeah and it. happened that I was nominated for an. Oscar for it which is weird because I. thought nobody's gonna watch it who. cares I'm just gonna see if I can play. in English so. but don't you think other movies that I. thought this is a masterpiece yeah they. were like buried that happens that. happens again and again and again in. this business it's never the thing you. think absolutely you think okay this is.

it and it's not and sometimes I I try. and encourage people because there have. been times in my life where the thing. that I thought was going to really make. me early on when I was younger didn't. happen and then I could see later on if. that thing had happened the thing I was. meant to do wouldn't have happened it's. all gets very mystical but I believe in. it I believe there's something to it you. should try podcast. [Laughter].

all right. I just about ran out. um. Eduardo I just have to keep saying. Eduardo to fill it out Eduardo. the word is. let's see.