Oscar-Winner Javier Bardem’s Mother, Pilar, Dead at 82

Veteran Spanish actor and activist Pilar Bardem, the mother of Oscar-winner Javier Bardem, has died. Bardem passed away Saturday at the age of 82, her son, Carlos, announced over the weekend. According to Deadline, the Goya Award-winning actress passed away at the Ruber Hospital in Madrid due to complications from lung disease not related to COVID-19.

Sharing news of their mother’s passing, Carlos, who is also an actor, wrote on Twitter that he and his siblings, including sister Monica, “want to share the news that Pilar Bardem, our mother, our example, has died.” Carlos said his mother “departed in peace and without suffering, surrounded by the love of her family. We know the love and admiration many felt for her, both in Spain and beyond, for her work as an actress and as a fighter who always stood in solidarity.” He said that he and his family “appreciate with all our heart the love toward our mother.” On Sunday, Carlos shared a photo of himself and his siblings with memorabilia of their mother, writing that they “bid farewell to my mom with a heart full of love. With tenderness and a smile.”

Born on March 14th, 1939, in Seville, Spain to celebrated actors Rafael Bardem and Matilde Munoz Sampedro, according to the Daily Mail, Bardem landed her first major performance in the 1965 Fernando Fernan Gomez-helmed film El Mundo Sigue. In the decades that followed, Bardem went on to star in various Spanish film and television projects, and in 1995, she received the Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Dona Julia in Nadie Hablara de Nosotras Cuando Hayamos Muerto. In the wake of her passing, Penelope Cruz, who married Javier in 2010 and also appeared in four films with her mother-in-law, paid tribute to Bardem.

“My dearest Pilar, I look at this photo and wonder what our reaction would’ve been if someone would’ve told at this moment all the marvelous plans destiny had in store for us beyond the big screen,” she wrote in Spanish alongside a photo Pedro Almodovar’s Live Flesh. “You were always so good to me. I couldn’t have dreamed of having a better mother-in-law. Thank you for all the love that you’ve given us, your children, grandchildren, family, and friends. You have given me so much. Thank you for always standing by those who needed it the most and for raising your voice against injustice…”

Along with acting, Bardem was also a well-known activist and was outspoken with her political beliefs. Throughout her 82 years of life, she campaigned for various causes, including opposing the deployment of Spanish troops to Iraq in 2003. She was ejected from Spain’s parliament for wearing a shirt featuring an anti-war message. Bardem is survived by her three children, Javier, Carlos, and Monica.