Just a minute with actor Javier Bardem

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Spanish actor Javier Bardem has seen his star rise to lofty levels in recent years in Hollywood, and this year he is nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar, which will be given out on February 24.

Many Oscar watchers believe Bardem, 38, is a shoo-in to win for his role as a cold-blooded killer in bleak crime drama "No Country for Old Men," which was directed by brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, who are also up for the best director Oscar.

Bardem was previously Oscar nominated for best lead actor playing a Cuban poet in 2000's "Before Night Falls," directed by Julian Schnabel, who also is nominated for the best director Oscar this year with "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly."

Q: So, who are better directors, the Coens or Julian Schnabel?

A: (laughs) "They have things in common. They like to achieve their goals, but the way they approach that is different. The Coens are very generous in welcoming you as part of their process."

Q: What about Schnabel?

A: "Julian is a man who is always searching as an artist, and he is going to approach the work in a unique way. It is about making a journey without really knowing where he's heading, and you have to take that leap of faith. And you want to take it because you know he will take you to the right place."

Q: You said the Coens' approach is to welcome you into their process. How did that take place in "No Country?"