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Javier Bardem on the joy of working with Penélope Cruz again: 'We are obliged to look at ourselves'


Bardem and Cruz will be working on their first movie together in years


Javier Bardem on the joy of working with Penélope Cruz again: 'We are obliged to look at ourselves'© Corbis via Getty Images
Maria LoretoSenior Writer
MAY 6, 2026 3:21 PM EDT

Javier Bardem is happy to be working with his wife. Bardem and Penélope Cruz have been married for years, keeping their lives and children out of the spotlight. As the two gear up to work together again, Bardem is opening up about the exciting possibilities that the new opportunity offers them. 

In 2022, they made history when both were nominated for Academy Awards in the same year, Bardem for 'Being the Ricardos' and Penélope for 'Parallel Mothers.'© Laurent KOFFEL
Bardem and Cruz will be working together in a new film

In a new interview with Variety, Bardem opened up about his life with Cruz, their children, Leo and Luna, and his upcoming film "Bunker," where he'll star alongside Cruz. 

“It’s a beautiful story that is going to help us see again,” he said. “Because sometimes you are immersed in your daily shit and the kids and the house, and it’s like—when do you sit down and look at each other again? When do you start to breathe again, and take the other person in?”

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz's connection shaped one of Hollywood’s most private yet enduring love stories.© Neilson Barnard
The pair shares two children

Bardem said that the film will provide them with an opportunity to spend time with each other in a different way.  “OK, now we are obliged to sit down, look at ourselves, listen to each other and be in emotional contact for many hours," he said. 

As a married couple, Bardem says that he and Cruz don't often talk about work. “We don’t waste too much time talking about work, though we love what we do," he said. 

Bardem and Cruz's relationship dates back decades ago

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem first met in 1992 filming 'Jamón, Jamón.'© Prime Video
The pair met in 1992, while shooting Cruz's first film "Jamon, Jamon"

Bardem and Cruz got married in 2010, after working on the set of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Still, the pair knew each other years back, first starring together in "Jamon, Jamon," the Spanish film that served as Cruz's debut. 

Despite the years together, Bardem is still wowed by his wife.  “She’s a woman I’m so blessed by having had the chance to be at the same time, in the same place, in life,” he said. “Penélope is an amazing, beautiful, good human being— the way she relates to her family, to her friends, to our kids, to me, to herself. It’s been a lot of years, and I haven’t seen a hint of malice in her.”

“On top of that, she’s amazingly f***ing beautiful!” he added. “When I see her being photographed on some magazines, I go, ‘Is that my wife? Jesus, is it? It must be!’”

Oscar winner Javier Bardem, husband of actress Penelope Cruz, looked smart in a blue blazer and white button shirt at <i>The Last Face</i> photocall.
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Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage
Javier Bardem is looking forward to collaborating with her again

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