Raoul Silva | James Bond Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Spoiler warning : This article contains spoilers ! Plot and/or ending details follow. Tiago Rodriguez Born Tiago Rodriguez on 1969, little is known about Silva's early though he seems to be Hispanic. He later relates a childhood story to a captive James Bond , describing how he spent time with his grandmother on an island, where she taught him how to rid the island of its rat infestation by capturing them in oil drums. He utilizes the image of the trapped rats turning to cannibalism as a metaphor for what the life of a spy does to its participants - namely himself. During his years in the Intelligence Service, Silva had worked alongside Olivia Mansfield (who would later be promoted to 'M') in Hong Kong from 1986 to 1997. Mansfield, who was section chief at the time, noticed that the operative had engaged in unauthorized hacking of the Chinese . With the Chinese closing in on Rodriguez and the upcoming transition of Hong Kong from a British colony to a special administrative region, (Transfer of Sovereignty) Mansfield sacrificed the hacker in exchange for six prisoners held by the Communist Chinese government and a smooth transition.

During his five month captivity, torture and imprisonment by the Chinese, Silva attempted to take his own life using a hydrogen cyanide implant in one of his molars. The suicide attempt failed, horrifically scarring Silva both mentally and physically and he claimed it burned his insides. The botched attempt is shown to have severely damaged his upper jaw so that his left cheek is sunken, leaving him with a drooping eyelid, bloodshot eyes and a slurred raspy speech. Silva's Hispanic tan is replaced with a pale demeanor. He is also shown to have rotten decaying gums and all but a few teeth have melted away with the few remaining having been mutilated and deformed, requiring Silva to wear a prosthesis to replace the teeth and inflate his left cheek and also to presumably help him breathe. The false teeth might have some sort of inhalers and Electrolanryx. When taken out his face is disfigured. Revenge Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva in a promotional shoot for the movie. Years later, he improves his hacking skills and rises in the criminal empire. He takes former prostitute Sévérine under his wing, but the merciful man she thought he was was a lie.

He causes a fake leak at a chemical Plant on the island of Hashima then claiming it. It is implied that he rigged the 2011 national Ugandan elections and recently crippled economies through Stock Exchanges. After he does this MI6 face a crisis when the mercenary Patrice steals a hard drive containing the identities of every NATO agent currently in the field, who were all embedded in terrorist organizations across the globe, and delivered it to Silva. (After this he is shown in the opening Sequence as a silhouette) Silva ensures that M is at the centre of the crisis by decrypting the drive using M's personal computer, via a hack, and sending her a message advising her to "think on her sins" before bombing her office (knowing that she isn't inside), bringing her under pressure from the government to resign. He then posts videos on YouTube of their names and threatens that he will persistently post five more every week. Later on as M meets with Mallory to discuss what to do with Raoul Silva they watch the news which shows agents being executed in an abandoned warehouse.

(Later revealed to be Hashima Island) Despite the injuries he sustained on a botched mission to retrieve the drive from Patrice, and ignoring the poor results of his re-entry test, M dispatches James Bond to Shanghai after receiving a tip from the CIA about Patrice's next contract. Patrice has been assigned by Silva to kill an art critic. Though he is unsuccessful in learning Silva's identity after Patrice falls to his death from a skyscraper, Bond is able to locate Patrice's contact in a casino in Macau: Silva's mistress, Sévérine , who desperately asks that he kills Silva. Bond boards Sévérine's yacht at night, which departs to a remote island off the coast of Macau Hashima Island- a former chemical plant which Silva had taken for himself by issuing a false alarm declaring a major leak, prompting all of the workers to evacuate. On the island, Silva's men take Sévérine away and restrain Bond in a chair at the end of a long room filled with Silva's electronic equipment in his warehouse. Silva enters to confront Bond, revealing his former status as an MI6 operative and gruesomely comparing Bond and himself to two tortured rats as a result of M's deceptive nature.

"She sent you after me knowing you are not ready, knowing you will likely die...Mommy was very bad." ― Raoul Silva interrogating Bond, referring to M. Taking Bond outside, Silva then has Sévérine tied to a collapsed statue, placing a small glass of alcohol on her head and forcing Bond to try to knock it off her head with a shot from an old single- shot flintlock pistol. Though Bond tries to spare her by aiming to her side, Silva then takes up his own pistol and shoots her instantly, causing the glass to fall from her head, but as he contemplates killing Bond, Bond is able to incapacitate all of his men with a startled Silva backing away with no shots left dropping his pistol. Before Silva has a chance to escape, helicopters that Bond signaled prior to arriving on the island finally arrive, and the team captures Silva. Captivity & escape Silva's disfigurement is revealed during his incarceration by MI6. Back in England, Silva is confined within MI6's underground emergency headquarters, which they had retreated to following the explosion in M's office.

When M confronts him in his cell, he expresses his hatred for her after his capture by the Chinese and his failed suicide attempt, and his determination to bring about her downfall. When she is about to leave he shows her what the Suicide Pill did to him by removing his prosthetic dentures. A shocked disturbed remorseful M leaves in horror as Silva grins with a gaping jaw and laughs maniacally.Meanwhile, Q acquires Silva's computer and decrypts a complex algorithm on its drive, with the Password being Granborough which unlocks to form a detailed electronic map of underground London . In connecting Silva's computer to his own, Q inadvertently allows Silva to hack MI6's systems using a virus, releasing him from his cell and allowing him to escape into the subway through a floor grate. Silva attempts to murder M during the public inquiry. Realizing that Silva has always been one step ahead of them the whole time, his capture by MI6 and subsequent escape having been planned years in advance (SPECTRE might have had a hand in this), Bond deduces that he plans to travel along the subway and emerge at the scene of a public inquiry into M's actions regarding the stolen hard drive.

Silva is successfully able to evade Bond at end of the chase by detonating an underground bomb that causes an incoming train to derail, almost crushing Bond. He then makes his way to the inquiry with a small number of henchmen, storming in and firing frantically at M but missing when Mallory takes the hit for her. He never manages to hit M, as he panics when Bond suddenly arrives, who kicks a gun over to Eve Moneypenny and allows her to join him returning fire. After Mallory joins them and they manage to shoot down the rest of Silva's men, Bond shoots the room's fire extinguishers, creating s smokescreen and allowing M to escape. Skyfall Silva leaves the scene after destroying the Bond family home. After Silva flees the scene, Bond takes M and leaves London, knowing that Silva and his men will come back in full force after his long-planned strategy failed him. Assigning Q to leave a complex electronic trail that only Silva will be able to follow, Bond takes M to Skyfall, his remote childhood home in Scotland, intending to lead Silva into a trap.

With help from the house's gamekeeper, Kincade , Bond and M rig the house with a range of booby traps and explosives, and finish just as a wave of armed henchmen(possible SPECTRE soldiers) begins to approach from a hilltop. Though most of the henchmen are easily dispatched by the traps and by Bond and Kincade, one of them manages to wound M with a shot to the hip before being killed by Bond. Bond notices that Silva was not among the gunmen, and having already used all of the traps, he tells Kincade to evacuate M to the nearby chapel via a tunnel beneath the house. Night falls, and a second wave of men, including Silva, arrive in a helicopter. The helicopter flies around the house shooting through the barricaded Windows continuously before landing outside of the manor. Silva strides out of the helicopter with his band of mercenaries and throws grenades into the mansion as he makes his way to the manor house. After throwing Grenades through windows and taunting Bond he circles the manor house and waves his arm to Bonds Car. The helicopter then shoots it and it blows up.

Bond finds a pair of gas tanks and a stick of dynamite, timing them to explode after he escapes through the tunnel himself. Silva and his henchmen circle the house before it explodes, which manages to kill and incinerate the majority of the gunmen and causes the helicopter to crash with an angered and shocked Silva to look on in horror before being temporarily at shock by the blast. (Silva is presumed by the audience to have been blown up) Death Javier Bardem on Being James Bond ‘SkyFall’ Villain: He’s a Broken Person | Fox News Javier Bardem on Being James Bond ‘SkyFall’ Villain: He’s a Broken Person Facebook 0 Twitter 0 livefyre Email Print His character in the new James Bond movie “SkyFall” may be described as insane, psychotic and altogether unhinged, but Spanish actor Javier Bardem says at the end of the day agent Raoul Silva “above all is a human being.” Bardem is no stranger to being the bad guy in films.

Back in 2007 the actor took home the Academy award for his role as the heartless Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” This time around, Bardem had the challenge of creating a character that was “loyal to the story” ― the beloved story of the undercover M16 007 agent, that is now in its 50th year and has been portrayed 23 times. “[I had to] put the person [watching] in an uncomfortable situation, where even James Bond could not resist,” Barden told Fox News Latino about how he and director Sam Mendes brought the creepy villain to life. "The first time I read it, I realized the character had many colors,” he added. “Here, in this movie is where the old meets the new,” he said in regards to Raoul Silva having a “classic” James Bond villain feel to him.

In the flick, Bardem shows off a flamboyant character with beach, blond hair and eyebrows (Raoul Silva) intended to make the audience feel uneasy about his motives, while 007 agent James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, tries to stop him from attacking the leader of the agents M16, played by Judi Dench. “Here there is a broken person,” Bardem said. “What I like the most is there is a clear motive [to kill],” he added. “We understand he is very human and this is powerful. I was attracted to the villain because I thought he was a nice guy. I could see it in his eyes.” “The character’s sexuality was part of the game,” he continued. Sexuality was there as something important to create the behavior of [being uncomfortable]. From 'uncomfortableness' we brought the sense of humor.” With major success under his belt with previous flicks such as “Love in the Time of Cholera,” “Eat Pray Love” and “Collateral,” Bardem believes that the journey of making the film with his fellow actors is what matters the most. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years,” Bardem told Fox News Latino.

“What stays with you is not the success or failure of the movie but the experience.” “Daniel [Craig] wants to make you feel protected and free,” Bardem said. "[He] gave me space to do my thing. So it was easy.” “I was really looking forward to the set because I knew I was going to have fun.” Reminiscing about his time on the set, Bardem said that at one point he, too, felt star struck at the thought that he is now part of the James Bond legacy. “[At one point] I forgot my lines,” Bardem said laughing. “I realized I was in a James Bond movie! Sam (Mendes) came over and was laughing and said what happened? But he knew.” “It’s a privilege,” he added, to be cast in the longest-running film franchise in history. Javier Bardem in ‘Skyfall’: Best Bond villain ever? Javier Bardem in ‘Skyfall’: Best Bond villain ever? mattmcd Javier Bardem More " Skyfall " finally opened in the U.S. last Friday, and it shattered the record for the biggest Bond movie opening ever with nearly $88 million for the weekend.

Some critics -- and even Roger Moore, a former 007 -- are calling it the best installment of the 23-film series. Certainly while credit for the success is due to Daniel Craig, who continues his reinvention of Bond as a flawed and grounded hero, Bond movies have always depended on great villains. And "Skyfall" has one of best bad guys in the 50 year history of the franchise. Javier Bardem More Javier Bardem, who won an Academy Award for playing the dead-eyed, oddly coiffed killer in the Coen Brothers' "No Country for Old Men," is electric as a very different type of monster as the cyberterrorist Raoul Silva. Bardem isn't the first Oscar winner to play a Bond baddie -- that would be Christopher Walken in 1985's "A View to a Kill" -- but he is the highest-profile star to face off against 007 in years. Much of the praise for Daniel Craig has been in regards to how different his portrayal of Bond is from the earlier on-screen personifications.

But in some ways, Bardem's villain is great because he embraces and elevates many of the classic traits from 007's adversaries in the past. Here are some examples, and if you haven't seen "Skyfall" yet, there will be some mild spoilers. [Video: 'Skyfall' Insider Access with Daniel Craig ] A Match for Bond The best villains are ones who can stand up to Bond, both mentally and physically. And with Daniel Craig as 007, finding an actor with the latter half has been a challenge. "Quantum of Solace" baddie Mathieu Amalric is a great actor, but being about half the size of Craig meant there wasn't much drama in their climatic fight scene. Bardem, on the other hand, is taller than Craig and a physically imposing presence. And since a major element of the film's story is Bond being out of step after nearly getting killed, he is at even more of a disadvantage. But Silva is also Bond's intellectual equal as well. As a former secret agent under M (Judi Dench), he has all the training and access of a double-0.

Like some standout villains of the past -- Sean Bean's duplicitous 006 from "GoldenEye" for example -- the fact that Silva is a turncoat makes him all the more dangerous. Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem More Monologue-ing One test of a Bond villain's worth is how he's able to deliver a long speech about his devious plans while 007 is held captive. And by that measure alone Silva has to rank at the top of the list. The first time we see Bardem in the film is as he delivers an epic monologue about cannibalistic rats as he crosses a very long room to where Bond is tied to a chair. It is presented in a single, unbroken shot, and the lack of any edits just heightens the tension. The scene also highlights another great element of Bardem's performance: his humor. He has a taunting, even seductive tone that he uses to try to unnerve Bond. As he talks, he starts unbuttoning Bond's shirt and touching his chest. Bond has a witty comeback to defuse the situation, which helps reinforce the notion that they are two sides of the same coin.

Bardem told USA Today that Silva's come-on was more of a test than an authentic seduction: "I'm trying to dismantle him, and he's trying to dismantle me. Within that, everything is allowed." [Related: James Bond's 10 most embarrassing moments ] The Trappings Great bad guys are larger than life, and Bardem embraces Silva's wild side. He has swept-back blonde hair and a flamboyant personal style that's a throwback to earlier villains like Auric Goldfinger. A villain needs a base of operations, of course, and Silva has an entire abandoned island all to himself. He has a beautiful woman in his employ, Severine (played by Berenice Marlohe), whom he doesn't hesitate to cruelly kill just to make a point. And he needs firepower, which Silva has in spades with a fully armed attack helicopter (including an "Apocalypse Now"-like sound system). Read More From the very first movie, Bond villains have often had some sort of physical disfigurement to set them apart. Dr. No had metal hands, Blofeld had a scarred face, and Le Chiffre in "Casino Royale" had tears of blood.

Silva, though, has perhaps the creepiest of all. After M gave him up to the Chinese government and he was tortured for months, Silva tried to commit suicide with a cyanide capsule hidden in his tooth. He survived, though, and he pulls out his dentures to reveal a mangled mouth and sunken skin. You definitely get why Silva has an axe to grind. [Related: Videos, photos and more from 50 years of James Bond ] Master Plan What really sets Silva apart, though, is that he's not out to take over the world. He demonstrates that with his mastery of technology, he could throw the planet into complete chaos with just a few keystrokes, but that's not his endgame. He has a much more personal score to settle with M, and he won't let Bond stand in the way. Interestingly, by making the stakes personal, rather than global, "Skyfall" increases the tension in a very real way. We've grown to care about the characters, and we have an emotional investment in seeing if they make it out alive. And that genuine menace makes Bardem's portrayal of Silva stand out more than anything. " Skyfall " is out in theaters now.

Watch Javier Bardem and Daniel Craig in a clip from 'Skyfall': Reblog Javier Bardem on Playing James Bond’s Latest Villain in ‘Skyfall’ - The Daily Beast Bond’s Big Baddie Javier Bardem on Playing James Bond’s Latest Villain in ‘Skyfall’ As Raoul Silva, the cyberterrorist with ridiculous bleached-blond hair in Skyfall, Bardem may be the best Bond bad guy ever. He tells Kevin Fallon what sold him on—and terrified him about—the part. Javier Bardem doesn’t appear until about 70 minutes into Skyfall . But boy does he make an impression. The James Bond film franchise turned 50 this fall, and is commemorating the golden anniversary with the release of its 23rd film, Skyfall, out in American theaters Nov. 9. It’s a reverent homage to classic Bond while taking the franchise in a new direction. Fans get the closest thing yet to a 007 backstory, while the film brandishes an emotional through-line that fires as sharply as director Sam Mendes’s slick, explosive action sequences.

With every element of Skyfall as polished as Daniel Craig in a Tom Ford suit, it’s no small praise that Bardem, playing bleached-blond cyberterrorist and psychopath Raoul Silva, is Bond 23’s undeniable highlight. Skyfall presents a vulnerable, doubtful Bond (Craig), one who runs away on a Mediterranean bender after he’s presumed dead and who, betraying the icon’s typical suave confidence, thinks his best days are behind him. It’s Bardem’s Silva who, after orchestrating a vengeful attack on M (Judi Dench) and MI6, and compromising all British agents, brings Bond back to brutish form. While classic Bond villains—Blofeld, Goldfinger—are colorfully cartoonish in their nefariousness, Bardem, as Silva, shades a characterization that is decidedly stirred, not shaken. Arriving with a shock of blond hair, and playful eyes, and wearing a near-perpetual wily smirk, he paints a textured portrait of a megalomaniac, one whose pain reverberates through his maniacal bad-guy laugh. “I was very struck by the power of the material,” Bardem tells The Daily Beast.

“I said, ‘This could be fun.'” Bardem’s gloriously staged entrance, when it finally arrives, drips with grandeur—a single-take shot of Silva slinking toward a bound Bond while delivering a theatrical monologue about metaphorical rats and the allure of cyberwarfare. How thrilled was Bardem when he read the script and saw his juicy introduction? “I was not that excited,” he says, chuckling. Escalating the pressure, Bardem says he wasn’t told until the day of shooting that the monologue would be filmed with a single, steady shot. “When I saw the film and saw the distance it looked like I had to walk, I said, ‘That’s not fair! It was way longer than that. It looks so much shorter!'” That Bardem nails the tricky scene shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed his career. He’s earned Academy Awards nods for his breakout role as the late gay Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls and his devastating performance as a father facing terminal illness in Biutiful. In 2007, he won Best Supporting Actor for playing terrifying killer Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men.

His personal life catches the understandable attention of tabloid rags and paparazzi lenses—he and Penélope Cruz are not only among the world’s most unfairly beautiful married couples, they have a child together—but he famously never discusses his family with the press. The Bardem-Cruz clan resides in Madrid, where Bardem runs a bar with his sister when he’s not acting. He calls going to L.A. to shoot movies “going to the office.” It’s worth noting, however, that despite his A-list recognition and awards success, Bardem has never top-lined a box-office smash. So what persuades an actor who sticks largely to Spanish-language and independent films and routinely rejects the flashing-bulb circus of Hollywood to sign on for an installment of one of film’s most iconic—and widely seen—franchises? Mendes, he says, played a large part in the convincing, as did the hallowed call sheet of actors who would be joining him on screen: Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Daniel Craig. But perhaps the most persuasive person in getting him to agree to the part was 007 himself. “James Bond is James Bond everywhere,” he says.

“I remember the first one I saw was Moonraker. I was 12. I was with my father. I remember looking forward to and waiting for the next Bond movie. So being a part of that is a great privilege, especially being a part of this movie, specifically, because it’s the one that celebrates 50 years.” Throughout Bardem’s career there have been memorable turns: as the sizzling Spaniard caught in a love quadrangle in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and the hunky focus of the “love” narrative in Eat Pray Love. But Chigurh in No Country for Old Men remains the role for which Bardem is most known. In the film, Bardem’s saucer eyes, almost bug-like, are steely and wide. His skin tone is made to look nearly jaundiced, contrasting with his pale, plump lips. His look as the ruthless assassin is so naturally menacing that the measured delivery of the line, “Hold still,” before he wastes a target chills to the bone. Now indelible, Chigurh ranks high on numerous lists of Best Movie Villains. Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily DigestStart and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast.

Cheat SheetA speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). Javier Bardem gets in Bond's head as 'Skyfall' villain Javier Bardem gets in Bond's head as 'Skyfall' villain The Oscar winner brings out the flamboyant menace as Daniel Craig's wild-haired foe bent on revenge. Post to Facebook Javier Bardem gets in Bond's head as 'Skyfall' villain The Oscar winner brings out the flamboyant menace as Daniel Craig's wild-haired foe bent on revenge. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 4 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Javier Bardem gets in Bond's head as 'Skyfall' villain Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY Published 5:45 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2012 | Updated 10:07 p.m. ET Nov. 7, 2012 Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

With the introduction of Raoul Silva, Javier Bardem, right, joins a 23-film history of archenemies of James Bond, played here by Daniel Craig in the latest movie 'Skyfall.' Click ahead to see some other notable bad guys from the film series. "A Bond villian is a genre in itself," says Bardem. "I knew that when I jumped in. There have been so many great actors playing these roles." Longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli says that without the baddies, there would really be no Bond. "The villains are so vitally important," she says. "We've always said, any Bond film is only as good as the villain." Here's a look at some of the favorites. Francois Duhamel, Sony Pictures Fullscreen The metal-mouthed henchman Jaws, (played by Richard Kiel), was a pain in the neck for Roger Moore in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker.' After biting through a cable-car wire onscreen, Jaws left a serious mark on young Javier Bardem when he saw 'Moonraker,' his first Bond film. "I actually found (Jaws) very warm and very nice," says Bardem. "A lovely guy.

You can tell in his eyes that this guy (Kiel) was a nice guy. I liked the warmth he was giving him." MGM Fullscreen The chuckling henchman Tee Hee, (played by Julius Harris), showed that feeding alligators for boss Mr. Big had its downfalls -- and he had the metal arm to prove it. But it was a lethal weapon against Roger Moore. This had a big effect on 'Skyfall' director Sam Mendes. "He just had the metal clamp," Mendes says. "And he just scared the life out of me, basically." Danjaq/Eon/United Artists/The Kobal Collection Fullscreen She might have been the rare female Bond villain, but Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) was all about the shoes -- the ones with the poison-tipped blade coming out of them aimed at Sean Connery in 'From Russia With Love.' Naturally, while dressed like a maid. "She just went for him in that hotel room," marvels Mendes.

Danjaq/EON/United Artists, The Kobal Collection Fullscreen Christopher Walken put the crazy on 11 playing the deranged microchip industrialist Max Zorin, who is intent on destroying Silicon Valley with an earthquake in 'View to a Kill.' 'Skyfall' Bond girl Berenice Marlohe was hooked. "It's the looks first of all. He has this quality of being very strange yet human and very feminine and male all at the same time," she says. "He has this feline behavior that's very interesting and strange." Danjaq/EON/United Artists, The Kobal Collection Fullscreen Goldfinger, the man with the Midas-touch (Gert Fröbe), is a perennial favorite among Bond fans -- he skyrocketed to the top of a Bond villain poll on the movie ticket website Fandango.com. "There's no underestimating the appeal of classic Bond, Frobe's memorably sick smile and his deliciously sinister dialogue," says Fandango editor Chuck Walton.

"He's a cheerfully evil villain." MGM Fullscreen Bond's archenemy appeared in six Bond films but didn't meet face-to-face with Sean Connery until 'You Only Live Twice' when Donald Pleasence poked his head out and proclaimed, "I am Ernst Stavro Blofeld." It's the look and cat that launched a thousand parodies. "With his Nehru jacket, bald head and white cat, he's fiendishly bent on world domination," says Bill Desowitz, author of 'Bond Unmasked.' MGM Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Last Slide Next Slide The Oscar winner brings out the flamboyant menace as Daniel Craig's wild-haired foe bent on revenge.

Javier Bardem is drawing praise for his performance in another villainous role, that of Bond antagonist Raoul Silva in 'Skyfall.' (Photo: Cliff Watts) Bardem's Bond villain has a unique haircut, making it Bardem's second bizarrely coiffed bad guy Bardem on Silva: ""He definitely thinks he's the most beautiful man in the world" Director Mendes "wanted Silva to sort of be a throwback to the slightly more theatrical Bond villains of the 1960s" When Javier Bardem was a young actor in Spain, he had a powerful dream in which all of the characters he had portrayed were in the same room. Yet they had nothing to say to one another because they had so little in common. It's a surreal concept that still motivates the 43-year-old Oscar winner, though he concedes that the idea of his growing list of characters never sharing traits is "impossible, of course." "But chasing that idea is what gives me ...," Bardem says, struggling for the proper English, "what's the word? Inspired. It gives me hunger. It's my goal. I try to bring people to the screen that didn't exist before.

When I see actors that do that, I go, 'Wow.' " An international wave of moviegoers and critics has already been wowed by Bardem's newest addition to the room: the menacing yet quirky villain opposite Daniel Craig's James Bond in Skyfall, opening in U.S. theaters Thursday at midnight. PHOTOS: A rogues' gallery of Bond villains The battle between the two has propelled the much-awaited 23rd edition of the Bond franchise to already staggering heights. After a four-year wait since 2008'sQuantum of Solace (while production stalled due to MGM Studios' financial woes), the classic British series returns with born-again energy while celebrating an honorary 50th anniversary. Skyfall already has grossed $287 million overseas and looks ready to break franchise records when it opens here. Bardem's next reunion of his characters will definitely take a turn for the very weird, given the nature of his Skyfall creation, Raoul Silva.

He's a way-out-there cyberterrorist who shows the same menace and odd hair as the bowl-cut psychotic hit man Anton Chigurh, whom Bardem portrayed in 2007's No Country for Old Men — a role that earned him a supporting-actor Oscar. But the freakishly blond Silva has an outsized presence, not to mention a great retro wardrobe, worthy of a classic Bond villain. (Photo: Francois Duhamel, Sony Pictures) "The guy is really, really confident about himself in a weird way," says Bardem. "He definitely thinks he's the most beautiful man in the world. "You have to work on two different levels," he adds. "One is to make him as real as possible. And the other is to fly a little bit higher than the rest of the characters. You are allowed to do that. Because that is what people are expecting to see when you play a Bond villain, especially since the films are turning 50 years." It's just what Bond fans want in a baddie, says Bill Desowitz, author of James Bond Unmasked. "Silva is right there with the classic villains Dr. No and Goldfinger as far as fun flamboyance.

He's someone who you can really have fun with. But you still very much feel the threat." Director Sam Mendes says that when he was brought on board to direct Skyfall with the looming anniversary, he wanted to pay tribute to films like the original Bond, 1962's Dr. No. "I wanted Silva to sort of be a throwback to the slightly more theatrical Bond villains of the 1960s. I thought, 'Who would I most want to see playing a Bond villain?' It took me about me about 10 seconds to come up with Javier." Mendes instructed the team of screenwriters to create with Bardem in mind as they constructed a tale involving a former agent bent on revenge against Bond's MI5 boss, M (Judi Dench), who Silva believes betrayed him in the field. "The part really was crafted for Javier," says Mendes. "It wasn't much more complicated than that." Silva's role is also central to the story, even if he physically does not appear until a powerful interrogation scene with Bond exactly midway in the film. "It's a very slow build to the entrance,'' says Mendes.

"We tantalize the audience." On paper, the self-deprecating Bardem might the last person who should have been cast for the tech-savvy freak. One big red flag: Bardem says he is so bad with computers that pretending to look competent in front of a computer keyboard was a bigger challenge than perfecting the long stretches of English dialogue for the part. "Cyberterrorism — I don't know what that means myself," says Bardem. "Because I basically cannot send an e-mail. That's like a whole different world to me. I'm so behind the technology these days. It's kind of scary. That's why Sam put the camera behind me when I was at the computer.'' Second red flag: Bardem also shows a marked lack of interest in firearms, which are pretty key with villains in general — especially in Skyfall when Silva's hunt for Bond and M intensifies into an on-the-ground manhunt. "I'm lost in that, too," Bardem says, conceding that he didn't recognize the kind of gun he was given. "I didn't even know what mine was called.

For the most part, I just put in some earplugs and just shoot." But Mendes knew as soon as Bardem appeared in full Silva attire for his screen test that he had his villain. "We rolled camera, he looked into the lens, and he was this character. He didn't even open his mouth," says Mendes. "It was shocking and amazing all at the same time." French actress Bérénice Marlohe, whose alluring character warns Bond about the deepest fear that Silva is capable of instilling, says Bardem earns that compliment. "He managed to combine this ability to be highly unpredictable — like his life is not directed by any rules — but at the same time, you can feel his humanity. It makes him even more evil." Longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli says Bardem pumps life into the character. "When Silva is evil, he makes your skin crawl. But Javier is also so sexy and attractive.'' Bardem says Silva's greatest weapon is "uncomfortableness." This is very much on display in the sexually charged first encounter, in which the seated and bound Bond is teased close-up by Silva, who even (gasp!) touches the eternally macho agent's chest.

"You can feel that energy in the scene. The camera captures that strange, slightly unhinged quality," says Mendes. "They got the giggles a couple of times, particularly when Silva starts undoing Bond's shirt." Despite the overt sexual overtones, Bardem says the scene is more about a poker game between the two adversaries. "I bet, (then) he bets stronger," says Bardem. "I'm trying to dismantle him, and he's trying to dismantle me. Within that, everything is allowed." As to whether Silva is truly attracted to Craig's Bond or just playing the game, Bardem doesn't show his cards. "Everyone will have their own opinion. My interpretation? Silva is a man who is really not attached to anything or anybody. And not to any label. In other words, he's there to really move forward with his plan." And is Silva seeking more serious relations with Bond? "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. That's the question the audience has to answer." There are some mysteries about Silva that are revealed in Skyfall, including the reasons for his outlandish attire.

Mendes makes clear that the strange coif — however different — will cause some to think Bardem is harking back to his No Country for Old Men character. "(Silva's hair) is completely a character choice, not an actor choice," says Mendes. "It wasn't 'how can I make this different from the last thing I played?' " Bardem won't say whether it's a wig or dye job — "that's a 007 secret." But he doesn't see the wild hair as any more or less important than any other feature for his character. "Hair is part of the physicality as much as the eyes, the hands and the ears," he says. "It's not something I'm obsessed about or married to." Nor does he buy into the idea that playing villains is more enjoyable than other types of characters. After all, he has earned rave reviews for roles as diverse as a quadriplegic seeking the right to die (2004's The Sea Inside) to a love-besotted artist in Woody Allen's 2008 romantic comedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in which Bardem starred alongside future wife Penelope Cruz. (They wed in 2010).

He'll next appear as a soul-searching priest in Terrence Malick'sTo the Wonder, due in April. "As long as there's a human being behind the character, with some kind of conflict, as we all have, then it's interesting to play anyone, whether it's a villain, good guy, bald, long hair, tall or short," says Bardem. It all goes back to the characters in Bardem's imaginary room. But should Skyfall's Silva and No Country's Chigurh, who famously used to flip a coin to determine the fate of his victims, ever meet in one of his dreams, they would have at least one thing in common. "Maybe they could have a chat about their hairstyles for a second. I think Silva has a strong sense of humor, so he would make fun of Chigurh's hair. And I guess Chigurh would not like that at all. And he would flip a coin. I don't know what happens after that." 103 CONNECT TWEET 1 LINKEDIN 4 COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: NEVER MISS OUT Life Be a pop culture maven.

Get the news, reviews and the juiciest celebrity stories that keep you in the know, Monday-Friday. James Bond: the best Bond villains - Telegraph James Bond James Bond: the best Bond villains Richard Kiel, who played James Bond villain Jaws, has died. He was one of the most memorable 007 foes Image 1 of 2 Roger Moore and Richard Kiel in the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. In 2004 Moore was voted 'Best Bond' in an Academy Awards poll. Photo: Rex Features Richard Kiel as James Bond villain Jaws Photo: Rex Features By Martin Chilton , Robbie Collin, Tim Robey and Mark Monahan 8:55AM BST 11 Sep 2014 • JAWS, played by Richard Kiel (The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker) Kiel was one of the most memorable James Bond villains in two of Roger Moore’s best Bond films, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).

Kiel, a 7ft 2in giant, was the steel-toothed villain who could bite through anything and throw 007 acorss the room. Kiel reportedly turned down the role of Darth Vader in Star Wars so he could play Jaws, because he believed it offered greater scope for acting. It did. He was terrifying Bond villain. His death was announced on September 11 2014, aged 74. Martin Chilton, Culture Editor for Telegraph.co.uk. Richard Kiel 24 Oct 2012 • LE CHIFFRE, played by Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) Fine actors do not always make strong Bond villains, as Robert Carlyle and Mathieu Amalric can attest. But while Mads Mikkelsen’s corrupt private banker oozes reptilian menace, he feels like a denizen of the real world, bleeding tear duct and all. Mikkelsen squares the circle: Le Chiffre is all man, all monster.

Robbie Collin, Telegraph Chief Film Critic • SILVA, played by Javier Bardem (Skyfall) The role goes a little askew once we grasp the smallness of Silva’s agenda, but Bardem’s first three scenes in Skyfall are magnificent – he’s like the missing link between Hannibal Lecter and Liberace. No Bond villain has ever enjoyed a better introductory shot, or seemed so hilariously insane from first to last. Tim Robey, Telegraph Film Critic Javier Bardem • AURIC GOLDFINGER, played by Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) For henchman, Donovan Grant (From Russia with Love), Oddjob (Goldfinger) or the metal-toothed Jaws (The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker) have, of course, to win joint first. But Goldfinger’s impatient, gleeful, “No, Mr Bond. I expect you to die!” makes him, at a stroke, the master villain of choice.

Mark Monahan, Telegraph Critic Gert Fröbe • ELLIOT CARVER, played by Jonathan Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies) The traditional view holds that Elliot Carver was the villain and James Bond the hero, but I’m not so sure. One was a violent, philandering drunkard living it up at the taxpayer’s expense. The other was a free-thinking entrepreneur of uncommon boldness, flying the flag for British interests in the world’s biggest emerging market. What’s more, at the core of his vision was print media: the eponymous newspaper ‘Tomorrow’. Sure, he machine-gunned a few sailors and stole some cruise missiles, but in the quest for good copy every journalist has to run the odd red light. In dark days for the industry, Carver was a beacon of ambition, a true original. Ed Cumming Raoul Silva | Villains Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia ~ Silva's taunting message to M. “ Hello, James. Welcome. Do you like the island? My grandmother had an island. Nothing to boast of. You could walk around it in an hour. But still, it was, it was a paradise for us.

One summer, we went for a visit and discovered the place had been infested with rats! They'd come on a fishing boat and gorged themselves on coconut. So how do you get rats off an island? Hmm? My grandmother showed me. We buried an oil drum and hinged the lid, then wired coconut to the lid as bait. And the rats would come for the coconut and... they would fall into the drum. And after a month, you have trapped all the rats. But what do you do then? Throw the drum into the ocean? Burn it? No. You just leave it. And they begin to get hungry. And one by one... they start eating each other until there are only two left. The two survivors. And then what? Do you kill them? No. You take them and release them into the trees. But now they don't eat coconut anymore. Now they only eat rat. You have changed their nature. The two survivors, this is what she made us. „ ~ Silva reflecting on M's betrayal compared to a rat story. Raoul Silva, originally named Tiago Rodriguez, is the main antagonist in the 2012 23rd James Bond film Skyfall.

He is a powerful cyber-terrorist who was once an honorable MI6 agent in the past, but was betrayed by M when she turned him over to the Chinese people during his mission at Hong Kong, which later motivated him into exacting revenge on M by jeopardizing her before killing her. He was portrayed by Spanish actor Javier Bardem , who also portrayed Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, Felix in The Gunman and will portray Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Contents [ show ] Early Life Tiago Rodriguez was once a Brazilian agent of MI6, working under M when she was the head of Station H, an MI6 division based in Hong Kong before the Handover in 1997 (the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the British to the Chinese). Hi s relationship with M was similar to that of Bond's, considering himself her "favorite". For M's part, she certainly held him in high esteem, telling Bond that he was a "brilliant" agent back then. Soon before the Handover, Rodriguez began acted beyond his professional duties, resulting in M turning him over to the Chinese in exchange for six other agents.

For five months they tortured him for information, but he refused to give up his secrets. Upon learning it was M that gave him up, he tried to commit suicide, but the cyanide didn't work and left him disfigured. Rodriguez grew to resent M, becoming a cyber terrorist, changing his name to Raoul Silva, and began planning his revenge on her. He eventually gained two henchmen, alias Severine and Patrice . Skyfall (2012) Silva made his presence known to M by sending her a taunting message before causing an explosion at the MI6 headquarters at Vauxhall Cross, forcing the agency to retreat to their underground offices. After Bond returned after being believed dead, M assigned him to hunt down the one behind the attack, sending him to Shanghai. After killing Patrice, he met with Severine, who agreed to take him to her boss. Upon traveling to Silva's island, Bond was captured and met with Silva himself. The former agent spoke about their shared relationship with M, but as Bond proved to be resistant to his interrogation tactics, Silva lead him outside. He challenged Bond to shoot a whiskey glass on a tide up Severine's head with an antique Percussion Cap pistol.

Due to the bullet wound in his shoulder, Bond missed his shot, after which Silva took the gun and shot Severine square in the face, killing her. Using the distress beacon given to him by Q, Bond was able to call for reinforcements and have Silva captured. However, it turned out that Silva had planned for such event to happen in order to get to M, and then escaped when a virus from his laptop infected MI6's system as Q was attempting to decrypt it. The virus opened all electronically locked doors in the base, including the door to his cell. He intended to kill M at a public hearing by disguising himself as a policeman, but Bond pursued and thwarted the plan before escaping with M up to Scotland. At Bond's ancestral home, the eponymous Skyfall, Silva eventually managed to corner M in the estate's chapel. However, upon seeing that she was already mortally wounded by a bullet wound, he broke down and became visibly upset that she was hurt. Then, realizing he can no longer bring himself to kill her, he forced his gun into her hand and held it to her temple while he pressed his head to the other side, begging her to kill them both with the same bullet.

However, Bond hurled his father's old combat knife into Silva's back, killing him. Moments later, M succumbed to her wound and died, and thus Silva's plan ultimately succeeded. Spectre (2015) In Spectre, it is revealed that Silva, along with Le Chiffre , C and Dominic Greene , was affiliated with SPECTRE . It is most likely that Silva allied himself with the organization simply to further his own goals of revenge against M, with SPECTRE's leader, Franz Oberhauser , agreeing to assist as part of his true plan to inflict more psychological pain onto Bond. Personality Despite his chaotic methods, Silva maintained an air of calm and often handled things with ease - even after his men were killed by Bond, and later held at gunpoint by the latter, Silva remained completely reserved and even managed to mock him. He was charismatic and very strategic, thinking of all of his plans in full detail and trying not to leave anything to chance, or else was very good at improvising. Silva was extremely intelligent, able not only to outsmart M, but Q and Bond as well, even going so far to use them as part of his plan.

He was also sexually ambiguous; he had a female lover and also made strong overtures toward Bond, though what precisely he meant by it and whether he is actually bisexual is left up for debate. Though Silva maintained an intensely strong hatred towards M, he is also conflicted about her. He was convinced that he had survived to "look into [her] eyes one last time". During their confrontation in the MI6 cell room where he is held after his initial capture, he grew increasingly more agitated and deranged as she refused to show any remorse or regret for her actions, especially when she refuses to use his real name. He calls her "Mommy" or "Mother" multiple times, and he ultimately cannot bring himself to personally kill her. He does have a sarcastic wit, shown constantly against James Bond during their battle of wits. It has been theorized that Silva had borderline personality disorder, which is characterized by intense fear of abandonment, emotional extremes, and an unstable sense of identity.

He does show sociopathic behavior, including a laid-back reaction to dangerous or sadistic situations, a lack of compassion towards even his allies, and above all he was particularly sadistic towards M - before exploding MI6 he sent a computerized message mocking her, and later taunted her with unleashing names of NATO agents on YouTube to intensify the fact that she had failed. [1] Appearance Raoul Silva is a young, tall and a bit muscular man with long blonde hair and blue eyes; both are probably not natural. He wears a prosthetic upper jaw to conceal the damage done by the failed cyanide capsule; without it, his left cheek collapses, causing his lower eyelid to droop as well, and he is left with only a few stubs of teeth which are grey with decay (see below). In his first appearance, he wears a cream jacket, a Prada tile print dress shirt, brown waistcoat and trousers, and brown shoes. After escaping his cell at MI6, he disguises himself as a Metropolitan police officer. In the final showdown at Skyfall, he wears all black: turtleneck, trenchcoat, trousers, and combat boots.

His weapons of choice include explosives, a Glock 13, a Steyr M9-A1 (during the Skyfall assault), a helicopter gunship, a subway train, and antique flintlock dueling pistols (used to kill his lover Sévérine in a "William Tell" game he forces Bond to participate in). Gallery Add a photo to this gallery Reception Upon the film's release, Javier Bardem had received enormous widespread critical acclaim from both film critics and both audiences, whom amazingly praised Bardem's performance and his acting form and commented that Silva was "a classic, menacing and cool Bond villain", also many Bond fans worldwide had compared Silva to the Joker from DC Comics universe, especially that of the late Heath Ledger version , because of the reason that Silva was a ruthless, psychopathic and megalomaniacal terrorist. Trivia Silva is similar several other Bond Villains: Alec Trevelyan from 1995's Goldeneye. Both are ex-agents who had once served for MI6 and had close personal relationships with one of their co-workers (Bond for Trevelyan/M for Silva). Because of this, both are seen as "Anti-Bonds".

Both seek justice for a betrayal done by MI6 (MI6 handing the Trevelyans and the Lienz Cossacks back to the Russians/MI6 for trading Silva over to the Chinese in order to free six captive agents). After leaving MI6 both start their own criminal rings, and major components of their plans involve great use of computer hacking. Both also received massive damage to their faces (Part of Trevelyan's face being burned by the explosion in the Soviet chemical plant in the opening of Goldeneye/Massive burning damage was done to Silva's face during a failed attempt at using a suicide cyanide pill that forces him to wear a brace in his mouth). Francisco Scaramanga from 1974's The Man With the Golden Gun. Both have some form of Hispanic heritage, and are presented as being Bond's equal. Both feel they share a certain special connection with James because they find themselves to be two of a kind. (Scaramanga highlighting how, "We are the best" in their murderous field/Silva about how M made them the "two survivors". Their connections to M also binding them on a kind of emotional level).

Both also are at times seen acting with a deal of eccentricity (and at times even sort of giddiness), particularly in their interactions with Bond. Both also have island lairs near China, and have a woman in their service (Andrea Anders/Sévérine) who is fearful of them and come to have hopes that Bond can kill their employers only to have Scaramanga and Silva eventually shoot and kill them personally. Elektra King / Renard from 1999's The World Is Not Enough. Both are motivated by some wrong that M had committed against them in the past and intended to kill her. In both cases, M took the option most dictated by duty rather than compassion or loyalty. Both Elektra/Renard and Silva remotely set off explosions in the Vauxhall Building, the official headquarters of MI6. Elektra is particularly resentful of her father, who had consulted with M when Elektra had been kidnapped years before (M advised her father not to pay the ransom asked for, as it would be "negotiating with terrorists"). Silva sees M herself as a mother figure. Silva's fake teeth might be a reference to the legendary Bond henchman, Jaws.

Silva's appearance may have been based on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The whiskey Silva pours out for Bond is a 50-year-old MacAllan, a reference to the fact that Skyfall was the 50th anniversary film. Silva's island was based on the real-life Japanese island of Hashima; Silva faked a leak at the island's chemical plant to cause the inhabitants to abandon it, based on the real chemical leak that caused the evacuation of the real island. The fallen statue on Silva's island is a reference to Percy Bysshe Shelley's sonnet "Ozymandius" , which is about time and entropy making a mockery of once-mighty empires. The poem M quotes from at her hearing right before Silva storms in is Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Ulysses" , which is about tenacity and striving forward even in the face of such decline. Originally, the German actor Michael Pink was supposed to play the role until Bardem got it. Still Pink is seen as a henchman in the battle scene at the end. He is the only main villain in the Bond reboot continuity to have onscreen kills. Silva is the first Bond villain to not have an operations base being destroyed.

007 Villains Main Villains Javier Bardem on being the baddest James Bond villain ever in “Skyfall” NBC Latino on twitter Celebrity Spanish actor Javier Bardem plays the deliciously creepy, villain Silva opposite Daniel Craig’s James Bond in “Skyfall.” (Photo/Courtesy Sony Pictures) Javier Bardem on being the baddest James Bond villain ever in “Skyfall” by Nina Terrero , @nina_terrero Follow @NBCLatino 5:00 am on 10/19/2012 In our interview, he came across as friendly; mild-mannered, even. But Javier Bardem sheds his sociable demeanor in the role of Raoul Silva, the complex – and yes, sexually ambiguous – villain who threatens to take down James Bond and the whole of British intelligence in “Skyfall.” “Sam [Mendes, the film’s director] and I really tried to bring the flavor of a classic villain combined with something more contemporary, from present times,” said Bardem of the decision to create a villain so utterly unique within the franchise’s 50-year history.

“Together, we decided to create a character based on the idea of an ‘uncomfortableness’ that would be apparent from his physicality down to the way he acts.” Bardem, an icon in his native Spain, is no stranger to playing the bad guy. After all, the 43-year-old won an Oscar in 2008 for his gripping role as a sociopath in “No Country for Old Men.” Why then, as the very first Hispanic actor to play a villain in the James Bond franchise, did he choose to base his character on such an abstract objective? “Sam brought the idea to me and I really found it compelling,” explains Bardem. “Rather than creating menace, being threatening or scary, it was important that my character create uncomfortable situations – and do it with a sense of humor that could also be perceived as uncomfortable.” Bardem’s Silva – a former MI6 agent whose thirst for revenge drives him to create the most intricate of plots to take down Bond (Daniel Craig) and M (Judi Dench) – does exactly that, even going so far as creating some homoerotic tension in a scene where he finally meets Bond face to face.

So the question begs to be asked: is Silva – officially the baddest villain in all of James Bond history – gay? “I think if people perceive that, they’re free to run with it – it’s part of the game and the joy of people interpreting the film differently,” says Bardem, whose first big hit was the Spanish comedy “Jamón, jamón” opposite now-wife Penelope Cruz. “That particular scene is all about creating something unexpected for Bond; it’s one aspect of my character but not the whole picture. It’s definitely one of the things I worked on and had a lot of fun with.” It turns out that Bardem also had fun with creating his soon-to-be infamous look, complete with a particularly unflattering blonde wig. “It was certainly a process,” admitted Bardem, who worked extensively with a makeup artist and hairdresser to create Silva’s creepy appearance. “Sam and I had many pictures and ideas as inspiration to start with.

Little by little, we tried out a variety of things and then one day we got what we were looking for – that ‘uncomfortableness’ embodied in the physicality of the character.” And while Bardem may have spent a considerable amount of time shaping his masterful villain’s character, he confessed that there’s one aspect of his role he didn’t have utter control of: Silva’s impressive action scenes. “It’s nothing compared to Daniel [Craig],” chuckled Bardem. “I got a glimpse of it and it’s there because if you’re going to a James Bond film you want that element – but let’s just say that I’m a great believer in a stunt double’s work!” While most of the attention on Silva’s character is bound to be on his evil nature, Bardem says there’s one aspect of his character he really appreciated: Silva’s practice of meditation during particularly tense moments. “We aren’t machines – we’re all people who carry different things with us,” reflects Bardem. “We have to remind ourselves to breathe, close our eyes and connect with the importance of the situation.” And can audiences expect to see more of Bardem as the bad guy in future films?

That’s always a possibility, says Bardem, who says he enjoys the process of finding material that “triggers the imagination.” “It’s not easy to find material that can take you to a place where you’re forced to bring something to the table,” says Bardem, who just wrapped up “The Counselor,” a drama co-starring wife Cruz and directed by friend Ridley Scott. “It doesn’t depend on one’s self or a particular project – it lies in the possibility of making that choice.” In any case, fans will soon see the softer side of Bardem in his next project: a documentary titled “Sons of the Clouds,” which will be released Nov. 13 on iTunes and other VOD platforms. It’s a film slated to shed light on the plight of Western Sahara natives whose homeland was subject to Moroccan invasion and subsequently subjected to Moroccan rule without democratic representation. “I hope people find the story of this crisis as interesting as I did, having spent four years of my life working on it,” says Bardem. “It’s a social, humanitarian issue with a bad history that deserves attention.”

Question: Which actor plays the villain, Silva, in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall ?
Answer: JAVIER BARDEM