Javier Bardem says he pushed Sam Mendes to make Skyfall villain sexually aggressive toward Bond

At a BFI London Film Festival Screen Talk, Bardem explained how he convinced director Sam Mendes to portray Raoul Silva as a character who wants to have sex with James Bond.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 11 Oct 2026 20:03:43 GMT

Spanish actor Javier Bardem told a Screen Talk audience at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday that he persuaded director Sam Mendes to give his 2012 Skyfall villain, Raoul Silva, a pronounced sexual interest in James Bond.

What happened

Bardem appeared at the festival’s early‑morning session, thanking the crowd for arriving and promoting his latest films, including the joint project Bunker with Penélope Cruz. During the talk he recounted declining the role of Silva in 2012, then later revisiting the character with Mendes. He said he proposed that Silva’s motivation should include a desire to have sex with Bond, a suggestion Mendes accepted after consulting the studio.

What the reports add

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bardem described his initial nervousness about joining a James Bond film and how a reading session with Mendes led to the idea of emphasizing the villain’s sexuality. Variety adds that Bardem quoted a line from Silva’s scene – “We are the last two rats. We can either eat each other, or eat everyone else” – and noted that Mendes’ first reaction was to “talk to the studio,” which he described as “very brave.” Both outlets report that Bardem believes the scene now remains vivid in audience memory.

What was said

“I guess I was nervous. Like, ‘What am I doing in the James Bond movie? What can I do?’ But then we sat down. Sam Mendes is a genius, and we went through the reading of it, and he was so open to what I was proposing, which had to do with the sexuality of the guy,” Bardem told The Hollywood Reporter.

“We went through the reading of it and [Mendes] was so open to what I was proposing to do with the sexuality of the character,” Bardem said to Variety. “Because I said, ‘Listen, all the villains have done everything to destroy the world, but what about something personal? What about something like, besides destroying the world, he wants to have sex with Bond.’”

How it came about

Bardem first turned down the Silva role in 2012, citing uncertainty about fitting into a Bond film. He later revisited the part during the production of Skyfall, collaborating with Mendes on the character’s development. The discussion resurfaced at the festival as Bardem promoted Bunker and The Beloved, linking his past Bond involvement to his current promotional circuit. Felo previously covered James Bond casting rumors in a piece about Saoirse Ronan’s comments on Jack Lowden (Saoirse Ronan says James Bond rumors about Jack Lowden aren’t a household priority), showing ongoing public interest in the franchise.

Key facts

Javier Bardem told a BFI London Film Festival Screen Talk that he urged Sam Mendes to make Skyfall villain Raoul Silva sexually interested in James Bond. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Bardem said Mendes was open to the idea after a reading session and consulted the studio, which he described as "very brave." (variety.com)
Bardem originally declined the Silva role in 2012 before later revisiting it with Mendes. (hollywoodreporter.com)