Javier Bardem worked as stripper

Javier Bardem once worked as a stripper.

The 'No Country For Old Men' star wasn't sure what he wanted to do when he started off his working life and so decided to try his hands at a number of jobs, and even bared his body at one point.

He explained: "I did it as a joke, for some friends at first. But a guy in the bar we were in spotted me and hired me for the next day.

"I was so bad, I did it to 'Leave Your Hat On', and I had to get my mother and sister to cheer me on."

Despite his foray into erotic entertainment, Javier - who comes from an acting family and is the grandson of actors Rafael Bardem and Matilde Munoz Sampedro - couldn't resist the pull toward acting and when he started winning more and more parts he decided to commit his life to being a thespian.

The 41-year-old star - who has been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in 'Biutiful' - added to The Times newspaper: "I realised I was becoming an actor, so I thought, 'OK, stop. If I'm going to do this, I have to do it right because of my surname.' "

Javier - who is married to Penelope Cruz - now loves his career and accepts he is lucky to be able to bring stories to life on the big screen.

He added: "What can I say, I am an actor, I wanna work, I'm a lucky b*****d! It's the only thing I know how to do. I don't have any other special skill. Believe me I'm nothing special."