Javier Bardem Confirms Role as 'Bond 23' Villain (Video)

2:51 PM PDT 10/11/2011 by Sofia M. Fernandez

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The actor is also in negotiations to play the baddie in the animated Universal and Illumination sequel, "Despicable Me 2."

Spanish actor Javier Bardem has confirmed that he is playing the villain in the next James Bond picture, currently called Bond 23.

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Bardem won a best supporting actor Oscar in 2008 for portraying a heartless killer with a bad bowl haircut in No Country for Old Men, and he recently told ABC's Nightline that he's looking forward to being 007's nemesis, "I'm very excited because my parents took me to watch the movies and I saw all of them. So to play that is going to be fun."

He added, "They choose me to play these men that I cannot give you many details."

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Bardem had said he met with Bond 23 director Sam Mendes about the role earlier this year.

An Academy Award best actor nominee for the dramas Before Night Falls and Biutiful, Bardem is also in negotiations to voice a new villain in Despicable Me 2, the sequel to Universal and Illumination’s surprise 2010 hit.

As first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Bardem would give voice to the baddie El Macho.

Daniel Craig returns as suave British agent 007 in Bond 23, which may have its name now, according to Fusible.com. The site reported that the MGM and Sony Pictures release, slated for late 2012, will likely be called Skyfall, according to several domain name registrations that were privately purchased through brand protection company MarkMonitor. Sony Pictures has used MarkMonitor for thousands of domain names, including SonyPictures.com, according to the site.

Fusible said that among the web addresses purchased are JamesBond-Skyfall.com and Skyfallthefilm.com. The company had registered other Skyfall names back in August, it said.

Earlier this year, the studios announced that Bond 23 will be released in the U.K. and Ireland on Oct. 26 of next year, with the U.S. launch set for Nov. 9.