Javier Bardem has admitted to fearing retaliation over his outspoken political views.
The Spanish actor, 57, among the most vocal celebrity activists for Gaza, recently claimed he’s faced “professional punishment” due to his support for Palestine.
Still, it hasn’t stopped him from sharing his views. Appearing at the Cannes Film Festival where he discussed his new film The Beloved, Bardem acknowledged the potential for backlash.
“The fear does exist,” he said, as reported by Deadline. “Granted that one has to do things, even if you feel a bit scared or afraid. You have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and look at yourself in the eyes, and that was my case. My mother taught me to be the way I am.”
He continued: “There is no B plan, no alternative, and this entails consequences, which I’m fully ready to shoulder. These consequences, well, I’ve heard about this, but as I said yesterday, I can’t corroborate things or provide facts or proofs. You have these denunciations.”
Bardem also addressed the potential for views in Hollywood to change on the topic.
“I had a whole host of offers in the U.S., in Europe, in South America and in Spain, and that made me think that in narratives things are changing, and everyone is beginning to realize, thanks to the younger generation, which is more aware of situations, situations we’re experiencing quite directly on our phones and on other screens,” he said.
Bardem later declared: “Genocide is a fact. You can fight against it, you can try to justify it, explain it. That is a fact.”
The Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men star’s latest comments come weeks after he claimed to Variety that, like Susan Sarandon — who in February said it’s been “impossible” for her to even find television roles after her participation in a pro-Palestine rally in 2023 — he, too, has lost out on jobs because of his stance.
“Yes, I’ve heard things: ‘They were going to call you about that project, but that’s gone’. ‘Or this brand was going to ask you to do the campaign, but they cannot’,” Bardem said. “It’s fine. I live in Spain. American studios are not the only place.”
At the 2026 Oscars in March, Bardem wore an anti-war patch and a pro-Palestine pin on his suit. “No to war and free Palestine,” he declared before presenting the award for Best International Feature Film, alongside Priyanka Chopra.
He then suggested to The Independent on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party that those in Hollywood were too “comfortable” to speak out.
“I think it's comfortable-ness,” he said. “I think they don't want to feel, themselves, uncomfortable. And that makes me uncomfortable; me and many others.”
He continued: “When I said ‘free Palestine’ in the room, in that theatre, the room broke [out] in a round of applause. So there is support, there is a lot of people supporting it, but it's not loud enough.
“That's what I try to inspire. Like, ‘Guys, it's OK. You can be part of the community of film-making, and also be a citizen, and it's OK.' One thing should be OK with the other.”
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