Javier Bardem has spoken about playing James Bond baddie Raoul Silva in Skyfall and that infamous homoerotic interrogation scene with Daniel Craig’s 007.
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Cyberterrorist and former 00-agent Raul Silva spends a majority of Skyfall terrorising MI6 and the organisation’s boss M (Judi Dench), who betrayed him during a previous mission. At one point, Silva captures Craig’s Bond and has him tied to a chair.
“We are the last two rats. We can either eat each other, or eat everyone else,” Silva says as he unbuttons Bond’s shirt before moving his hands down to his thighs. “Well, there’s a first time for everything,” he says. “What makes you think this is my first time?” replied Bond.
Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival over the weekend (via Variety), Bardem said that it was his idea to have Silva flirt with Bond. “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. 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.’”
Skyfall director Sam Mendes initially had to check with the studio about the new take on the character but, according to Bardem, “the studio was very brave!” He believes the scene is so memorable because it “put Bond in a situation that he’s not been to before, and the way he comes out of it is brilliant.”
Javier Bardem says he forgot his lines when shooting his first scenes in Skyfall because he suddenly realised “I’m in a James Bond movie! Fuck!” pic.twitter.com/iqfzAoL2d5
— Alex Ritman (@alexritman) October 11, 2026
Elsewhere during the talk, he revealed that during a scene where Silva is imprisoned and being questioned, he completely forgot his lines. “I just realised that I’m in a James Bond movie. I just saw Judi Dench as M and James Bond looking at me and thought ‘Fuck, I’m in a James Bond movie’.”
Last week it was reported that House Of The Dragon’s Ewan Mitchell is expected to play a villain in the new James Bond film.
Denis Villeneuve (Dune) will be directing Bond 26 from a script by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) but casting news is still to be announced. Amy Pascal, who’s producing the new James Bond film at Amazon, has said the new 007 will be cast by the end of the year. “We are being really, really methodical. I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring, exciting and different.”
According to reports, Tom Holland is unable to pursue the role due to his Marvel contract. Taron Egerton has ruled himself out as Bond while Callum Turner has dodged red carpet questions about his involvement in the project. Meanwhile, Gary Oldman has backed his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden as the next 007 and Danny Boyle wants Jack O’Connell to take on the role.
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