Javier Bardem says he pitched making Skyfall villain sexually attracted to Bond at BFI London Film Festival talk

Bardem's pitch to Mendes at the BFI London Film Festival

Javier Bardem used a Screen Talk session at the BFI London Film Festival on Oct. 11, 2026, to reveal that he personally pushed Sam Mendes to make Raoul Silva, the cyber-terrorist he plays in the 2012 James Bond film "Skyfall," openly desire 007. Bardem recalled telling the director: "Listen, all the villains have done everything to destroy the world, but what about becoming personal? What about something besides destroying the world? [Like] he wants to have sex with Mr. Bond?" Mendes responded that he would consult the studio, and Bardem described the studio as "very brave" for greenlighting the approach. Bardem said the homoerotic scene in which Silva unbuttons a bound Daniel Craig's shirt and strokes his thighs "lasts in the memory of the audience" because it puts "Mr. Bond out of his place."

A first Bond refusal and a memory of Judi Dench

Bardem also disclosed that he initially turned down the role before reading the script. "I guess I was nervous. Like, 'What am I doing in the James Bond movie? What can I do?'" he said, before agreeing after meeting with Mendes. On set, Bardem said he was so overcome by the presence of Dame Judi Dench, playing M, that he forgot his lines the first time Mendes called action. "Sorry, I just realized that I'm in a James Bond movie. Excuse me, I just saw Judi Dench and James Bond looking at me," he recalled telling the director. He called Craig "adorable" and Dench "a gift."

Bardem's BFI Festival slate beyond 'Skyfall'

The BFI London Film Festival appearance doubles as a promotional platform for two of Bardem's newer projects. He is in London with his wife, Penelope Cruz, supporting their film "Bunker," and is also presenting "The Beloved," in which he co-stars with Victoria Luengo. Bardem's Screen Talk ranged across his career, from his first acting role at age five in the 1974 Spanish TV series "El Picaro," which starred his late mother, actress Pilar Bardem, through his Oscar-winning turn in "No Country for Old Men," a record five Goya leading-actor awards and two Volpi Cups at Venice. He also joked that until his mother's death in 2021 he spent years wondering "where is my salary" for that childhood appearance, a mystery he said remains unsolved.