Editing Javier Bardem (section)

=== 1990–1999: Early roles ===
Bardem came to notice in a small role in his first major motion picture, ''[[The Ages of Lulu]]'', when he was 21, in which he appeared along with his mother, [[Pilar Bardem]]. He also appeared in minor roles in ''[[Amo tu cama rica]]'' and ''[[High Heels (1991 film)|High Heels]]''.<ref name="mxf">{{cite web|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/cultura/2008/02/26/pisadas-gallegas-bardem/0003_6601634.htm|website=[[La Voz de Galicia]]|date=26 February 2008|title=Las pisadas gallegas de Bardem|first=Miguel Anxo|last=Fernández|language=es|access-date=24 November 2021|archive-date=24 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124034757/https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/cultura/2008/02/26/pisadas-gallegas-bardem/0003_6601634.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bigas Luna]], the director of ''Lulu'', was sufficiently impressed to give him the leading male role in his next film, ''[[Jamón Jamón]]'' in 1992, in which Bardem played a would-be [[underwear model]] and [[bullfighter]]. The film, which also starred his eventual wife [[Penélope Cruz]], was a major international success.<ref name="mirror" /> Bardem featured in [[Sancho Gracia]]'s ''[[Huidos]]'',<ref name="mxf" /> and starred in Bigas Luna's next film ''[[Golden Balls (film)|Golden Balls]]'' (1993).

Bardem's talent did not go unnoticed in the [[English-speaking world]]. In 1997, [[John Malkovich]] was the first to approach him, then a 27-year-old, for a role in English, but the Spanish actor turned down the offer because his English was still poor.<ref name="rugby" /><ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://movies.about.com/cs/interviews/a/javierbardem_2.htm|title=Javier Bardem on John Malkovich and "The Dancer Upstairs"|last=Murray|first=Rebecca|publisher=[[About.com]]|access-date=27 March 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505092131/http://movies.about.com/cs/interviews/a/javierbardem_2.htm|archive-date=5 May 2011}}</ref> His first English-speaking role came that same year, in with director [[Álex de la Iglesia]]'s ''[[Perdita Durango]]'', playing a [[santería]]-practicing bank robber.