Javier Bardem has opened up about his past as a stripper, admitting that his former career was rather short-lived.
During an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ US talk show, the Oscar winner said that in his early 20s he had “stepped out of a friend’s fiancée’s cake” on a night out, which caught the owner of the club’s eye.
“I did my routine again on the disco dance floor, and the owner of the disco said, ‘Will you do that every Friday?’,” he recalled. “And I said, ‘Yeah, of course!’ because I was drunk.”
The following week, he returned for another night of stripping, bringing his mother and sister along for moral support.
“I was so nervous, I called my mom and my sister to accompany me to my striptease number,” the Spanish actor told Ellen.
However, it seemed once was enough for Javier, who went on to appear in films like Skyfall, Dune and No Country For Old Men, which earned him his Academy Award win.
“There was nobody… I think there were, like, three people there,” he said. “And it was very embarrassing, but I did it! I’m a performer, and I have my work.”
Javier added that his routine was set to You Can Leave Your Hat On, with Ellen quipping: “How appropriate, Joe Cocker.”
Of course, Javier isn’t the only Hollywood star with a background in getting their kit off, with Channing Tatum’s own history as a stripper partly inspiring the film Magic Mike.
The third, and final, instalment of the Magic Mike series was recently announced, with Ellen questioning whether Javier would be welcomed into the cast after his recent admission..
“They asked me to play the part where the old guy comes in and tries to do something and they’re like, ‘Stop it. … No no no no, not now!’,” he joked.