"He has some dimension that makes him more interesting to play and to watch, I guess," Bardem said. "And there's a back story that it's very interesting that goes back to the origin of Jack Sparrow himself, and everything makes sense."
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You'll recognize Javier for part of the movie, but for much of it - a three-hour transformation left him almost unrecognizable.
"The detail of the wardrobe, the swords, the make-up, when they put everything together and you own it - of course helps you in a big way," he said.
And then there are parts of the film that really test an actor's mettle: performing opposite to a lot of "nothing" until state-of-the-art special effects are added much later.
"I'm blown away because I was there. And I was running by these blue screens and they tell you what you are watching or what's going to be on screen," he said. "There's a part of you that you go, 'really? Are you going to be able to do all of that?' And they are."
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With his move into a "Pirates" life, Bardem will be introduced to a whole new fan base - kids!
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" is rated PG-13 and in theaters nationwide.