Bardem: Playing Bond villain a dream come true

Javier Bardem never dreamt he would be in a James Bond film.

The Spanish actor portrays the role of Raoul Silva in the latest instalment 'Skyfall', and he admits it was a childhood dream of his to star in the British spy series.

He said: "I'm a huge fan of the James Bond saga, so I was always very open to the idea. When I was little I watched Mr Connery doing James Bond with my father.

"Who in the world would think I'd be in one of those movies?"

Bardem - who has previously won an Oscar for his role in 'No Country for Old Men' - was even allowed to have an influence on the character as director Sam Mendes was so keen to have him play the part.

According to The Sun newspaper, he said: "The script was everything you could expect in James Bond films, and in addition it was a powerful and complex story.

"Sam had changed the whole dynamic of the baddie role, so Silva is not just a villain in the usual and obvious way.

"He gave me meat to chew and a nuanced Bond nemesis to play."