Friday, August 25, 1995
By Lori Swingle
Summer Bruin Contributor
When a new actor bursts onto the movie scene he is often pegged
as the next so-and-so, or a young version of "that other guy."
Well, Spain has a new export and the consensus seems to be that he
is the next Antonio Banderas. Javier Bardem, still unknown to
American moviegoers, has been working steadily and winning acting
awards in Spain for films that have never received an international
release. Until now.
Given "Mouth to Mouth" distributor Miramax’s success with the
foreign film, "Il Postino," there is a chance that Bardem could
become a break-out star.
"I think that (Banderas) has what he was looking for and that’s
great. I don’t want to be Antonio Banderas, because I don’t want to
be a star," he says.
Ironically, in the film Bardem plays Victor Ventura, an
out-of-work actor who longs to be famous in America. To make ends
meet he works as a phone sex operator and gets into some trouble
with his clients.
"This was my first chance to change my role  in Spain I’m
a little tied up for the characters I play. I’d never done a comedy
before," he says.
Bardem has come to fame in Europe playing the more macho, sexy
roles  and he does that in "Mouth to Mouth;" however, his
more serious, almost nerdy side is also exposed.
"The clumsy guy with glasses that drop on the floor, that’s me,"
he says.
Bardem claims that he is not the womanizing, egotistical man so
many people perceive him to be. He has his own ideas about his life
and acting career, and he will sacrifice neither, despite the
rewards.
"I prefer to stay at home studying and reading with my
girlfriend than to work with something I don’t believe in," he
says.
Bardem is not driven by the allure of money, and he refuses to
move to America and become a slave to the Hollywood game. For
Bardem, it is more important to support his own country and to
remember the industry that gave him his career.
In "Mouth to Mouth," Victor is uninterested in Spanish cinema
until his culture is insulted by an American director; he then
becomes indignant and reclaims his heritage. The character reflects
the sentiments of many Europeans towards the popularity of American
films in Europe.
"It’s how every country in Europe feels about American cinema.
There are for example 20 cinemas and in 19 there are American
movies  I don’t like that because we have our own industry
and we have to fight for it," he says.
Though Bardem is very defensive of European cinema, he is not
above taking roles in American movies. "I’d like to work in movies
all around the world," he admits. "I don’t care if it’s in America,
India or Pakistan  wherever there is a big role, a big
character, a nice story."
Bardem is fulfilling his dream of working around the globe by
starring in a sequel to "Wild at Heart" with Rosie Perez. For an
actor whose career began on a lark  he accompanied his sister
to an audition and walked away with a job  Bardem continues
to find success which could make him a star whether he likes it or
not.
"I can’t imagine what it is to be a star," Bardem says, "That’s
got to be horrible!"
Film: "Mouth to Mouth," starring Javier Bardem, opens Sept.
6.