Carlos Bardem

Carlos Encinas Bardem (born 7 March 1963) is a Spanish actor and writer. He is often cast in "tough guy" roles, if not outright villains.

Life and career Carlos Encinas Bardem was born in Madrid on 7 March 1963. co-helmed by his cousin Miguel Bardem. A year later, he played a part in Álex de la Iglesia's film Perdita Durango, which starred his brother Javier.

He won an Actors and Actresses Union Award for Best New Actor for his performance in the Spanish-Mexican co-production La zona (2007).

His portrayal of Apache in Cell 211 (2009) earned him a nomination for the Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In 2010, he began a relationship with Cecilia Gessa.

Bardem adapted alongside Santiago Zannou his own novel about the genesis of violence Alacrán enamorado to screen. He also featured in the film, titled Scorpion in Love (2013), as a boxing coach, and won nominations to the Goya both for Best Adapted Screenplay and for Best Supporting Performance. In 2015, he appeared in Manolo Caro's comedy Elvira I Will Give You My Life But I'm Using It playing Gustavo, the husband of Cecilia Suárez's lead character Elvira. Continuing his work in Mexico, he played a football agent in comedy-drama series Club de Cuervos, which debuted on Netflix in 2015.

Bardem played the part of Benedicto, a mentor of the Order of Assassins, in the action film Assassin's Creed (2016).

In 2018, he starred in Colombian crime film Pickpockets in the role of Chucho, a mentor of young pickpockets.

In 2019, Bardem published his sixth novel, Mongo blanco (Plaza & Janés), which deals with 19th-century slave trader Pedro Blanco.

Bardem played the villainous Count Flaín of León, an antagonist to Ruy Díaz de Vivar, in the Prime Video series El Cid, set in 11th-century Iberia.

He featured as the authoritarian father of in the former's autofictional series Queer You Are (2021), in a role in which Bardem's face is not displayed onscreen. Resuming collaboration with Álex de la Iglesia, he played a "narco-satanic" cardinal in the HBO series 30 Coins.

His 2023 novel Badaq (Plaza & Janés) is a moral fable and criticism of the Spanish empire dealing with the plight of an Indonesian female rhinoceros captured in the island of Pawu and taken to Madrid in the 16th century.

Views

Bardem is committed to left-wing positions. He has sided in favour of the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people and has criticised the inaction of the Spanish political class in the matter since 1975. In the buildup to the 2011 Spanish general election, he lent public support to the electoral list of United Left.

In July 2025, Bardem signed a letter to the Government of Spain along with over 1,200 professionals demanding an immediate and comprehensive embargo of arms and defense material on Israel by means of a Royal Decree-Law, personally adding that "culture that does not denounce is collaborationist, culture must always be rebellious and critical”.

In 2026, he co-signed a manifesto in defence of Fergie Chambers, considering that the Spanish State "can and must prevent Chambers' extradition to the United States", demanding that "he be granted international protection through the recognition of his right to political asylum".

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes Más que amor, frenesí (Not Love, Just Frenzy) Miguel Perdita Durango (Dance with the Devil) Reggie San Pedro Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley (Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law) Cayetano Resultado final Obrero Código natural La gran vida Matón discoteca 1 Juego de Luna (Luna's Game) Reyes Bestiario Demetrio 2004 Cien maneras de acabar con el amor Carlos El último negocio Javier Short film Princesas (Princesses) Portero discoteca El desenlace Rosendo Por dinero negro Rolf Short film La bicicleta (The Bicycle) Antonio Alatriste Alguacil Goya's Ghosts French Colonel La zona Gerardo La señal Siracusa Che: Part Two Solo quiero caminar Ramón El Niño Pez Comisario Pulido Celda 211 (Cell 211) Apache Malamuerte Dorado Entrelobos Ceferino Días de gracia Victima X Americano Luis 10 pelis Carlos Transgression Carlos Alacrán enamorado (Scorpion in Love) Carlomonte Also screenwriter A pesar de todo (Despite Everything) Pablo Adiós (Bye) Santacana Centauro Boro Tabula rasa DRAGN Daniel Diaz Papeles (Papers) Raúl Fassano In the Grey Manny Salazar

Television Year Title Role Notes Hermanas Karlos Recurring role (season 2); 3 episodes El comisario Juanma Cañizares Episode: "Muerto por error" Hay alguien ahí Justo Recurring role (seasons 1–2); 17 episodes Cuéntame El Chino Episode: "El último minuto de nuestra vida" Club de Cuervos Eliseo Canales La embajada Paco Cadenas Recurring role (season 1); 11 episodes The Son Pedro García Recurring role (season 1); 10 episodes La zona Krusty Recurring role (season 1); 4 episodes Traición Julián Casas Recurring role (season 1); 9 episodes El Señor de los Cielos Chivo Ahumada Main role. Season 6) El Cid El conde Flaín Main supporting role; 5 chapters Maricón perdido (Queer You Are) Padre Madres. Amor y vidaHectorMain cast. Introduced in season 3 The Chosen One Father Cruz 30 monedas (30 Coins) Cardenal de la Cruz

Accolades Year Award Category Work Result