Being an actor is sometimes synonymous with sacrifice. This was apparently the case for Javier Bardem who had a very bad time with his haircut for one of his most notable roles.
There are many disturbing and even downright terrifying things in No Country for Old Men, starting with its antagonist Anton Chigurh. There’s the ominous smile he displays to hide his murderous intentions and his brutal efficiency with a slaughter gun. Not to mention his disregard for human life.
For all these reasons, it is not surprising that Javier Bardem’s portrayal was considered the most realistic portrayal of a clinical psychopath in a film by the Journal of Forensic Sciences. ).
This explains why the actor received an Oscar for his performance. However, one of the character’s most striking characteristics has nothing to do with his ruthless behavior, but rather his haircut, which could easily be compared to that of a Playmobil.
With a few strokes of scissors, directors Joel and Ethan Coen have created one of their greatest successes among the creations of their characters. However, Bardem himself had mixed feelings about what the directors were asking him to do to his hair. And we understand it.
Being on set for three months with that haircut, man, it was really fucking hard
Bardem was reluctant before accepting
When Bardem first heard about Chigurh, he was not very enthusiastic about having to enter the tormented head of such a character. But as the actor explained to The Independentthis changed when he read the book from which the film is adapted:
“Did I like the guy when I read the script? No not at all. But then, when I read the novel by Cormac McCarthy, I understood the philosophy behind it much better, and this idea of Chigurh and his ‘principles’. So I understood that he was a complex man, in his own way. This helped me figure it out.“.
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THE “principles“which Bardem is referring to are Chigurh’s amoral belief system. He explains that throughout the film, he sees himself simply as an instrument of destiny carrying out its task – a “genie out of the lamp“, as the actor calls it. Once released, he distributes death where he believes it was deserved, without ever recognizing his own responsibility for these actions.
Once Javier Bardem nailed Chigurh as a killer with a flawed worldview but understood it, he found the motivation to play the role. But there was still an obstacle for Bardem to overcome when it came to his misgivings about his character. Obviously, it was one thing to play a psychopath and another thing to have to wear a truly psychotic haircut.
A disturbing haircut for a disturbing man
In that same interview, Bardem explained that it wasn’t just the fact that Chigurh’s haircut was ugly, but also how long he would have to put up with it. “Being on set for three months with that haircut, man, it was really fucking hard” he admitted. But a little adversity can energize an actor, and Bardem’s intense distaste for the haircut actually led him to connect with the character.
A few months after the film’s release, he talked about it with a bit of humor on Conan O’Brien’s talk show
You have until December 31 to watch No Country for Old Men on Netflix.