(Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1969) From a well-known family of comedians and filmmakers, including his grandparents (the actors Rafael Bardem and Guadalupe Muñoz Sampedro), his uncle (the director Juan Antonio Bardem) and his mother (the actor Pilar Bardem). He was given his first screen appearance at the age of five, in the series El pícaro, directed by Fernando Fernán-Gómez. Bigas Luna was an important figure in his career, giving him a starring role, together with Penélope Cruz and Jordi Mollá, in Jamón, jamón (1992). His work in Días contados (1994, Imanol Uribe) brought him his first major awards. An Oscar nomination for Before Night Falls (2000, Julian Schnabel) and particularly his Oscar for No Country For Old Men (2007, Joel and Ethan Coen) cemented his reputation. He was the first Spanish actor to win an Oscar, something that only Penélope Cruz has achieved since. He has worked with outstanding directors, including Woody Allen, Ridley Scott, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Milos Forman, Michael Mann, Pedro Almodóvar, Álex de la Iglesia, Alejandro Amenábar, Fernando León, Sam Mendes, John Malkovich, Denis Villeneuve, Darren Aronofsky and Asghar Farhadi; has acted in blockbuster films such as Skyfall (2012) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2016); and has won numerous major awards, including a Golden Globe, five Goyas, a BAFTA and Best Actor awards at the film festivals of Cannes, San Sebastian and Venice, twice. He has also become involved in documentary production, motivated by a social commitment. As of January 2021, he is due to work on Denis Villenueve’s Dune; El buen patrón, by Fernando León; and The Little Mermaid by Rob Marshall.