Spanish actor Javier Bardem left his mark in Hollywood on Tuesday, placing for posterity the imprint of his hands in cement at the Chinese Theater, one of the historic movie theaters on Hollywood Boulevard.
“It’s really special to be offered such a space to immortalize your name, your image,” the star told AFP shortly after the ceremony.
“When I think of all the people who stood in this exact spot, I find it hard to believe that any of this is real,” the 57-year-old Spaniard said in a speech, before placing his footprints in the fresh cement.
This tradition, which dates from the construction of the Chinese Theater, has seen more than 200 stars appear in nearly a century, such as Jack Nicholson and Marilyn Monroe.
Javier Bardem became known internationally in 2000, thanks to his interpretation of the Cuban writer exiled in the United States Reinaldo Arenas in “Before the Night”, directed by Julian Schnabel.
Eight years later, he won the Oscar for best supporting role for his portrayal of the sinister Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men,” by the Cohen brothers.
His latest film, “L’Etre Aimée,” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year and he stars in the series “Les Nerfs à Vif,” released at the beginning of June on AppleTV.
The actor has repeatedly denounced Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policy and the situation in the Gaza Strip, ravaged by more than two years of war triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in Israel.
“A lot of people come up to me and say: ‘Thank you for doing or saying what you do or say,’ and I encourage them to do the same loud and clear,” Javier Bardem said during the ceremony.
