AC/DC’s Highway To Hell made Hollywood superstar Javier Bardem a metalhead for life
Hollywood actor Javier Bardem has revealed that AC/DC's 1979 album Highway To Hell was the record that turned him into a lifelong rock and metal fan. The Spanish star, currently playing Max Cady in Apple TV's Cape Fear remake and recently praised for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, made the disclosure during an appearance on the online series Subway Takes, where he offered the "hot take" that hard rock and metal are the best music genres with the best fans.
Bardem, 57, told host Kareem Rahma that he has been a "headbanger" since the 1980s and described a sense of "brotherhood" among metal fans built on mutual respect. Rahma, who agreed "100 per cent" with Bardem's take, called the revelation "unexpected and great". The actor praised the genre's energising quality, crediting Highway To Hell as the album that first drew him in.
- Javier Bardem credits AC/DC's 1979 album Highway To Hell for sparking his lifelong passion for rock and metal music
- The Spanish actor discovered the album at age 10, describing it as a pivotal life-changing moment
- He praises metal's passionate fan community and describes the genre as both energizing and emotionally grounding
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Javier Bardem, best known for films such as No Country for Old Men and Skyfall, is currently starring as villain Max Cady in Apple TV's remake of Cape Fear and has drawn praise for his part in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. Away from acting, the Spanish star has long been known as an enthusiastic rock and metal fan, a side of him that has now become the focus of attention.
The comments came on Subway Takes, an online interview series hosted by Kareem Rahma in which guests share unconventional opinions, or "hot takes", on camera. AC/DC are a veteran Australian rock band, and Highway To Hell, released in 1979, is one of their best-known albums, often cited as a landmark record in the genre's history.
The story matters mainly as a light celebrity interest piece, showing a well-known dramatic actor's personal passion for a genre not usually associated with his public image. It offers readers insight into Bardem's tastes and character beyond his film roles, rather than reporting on any wider news event.