Javier Bardem has told Kerrang! that listening to bands including Slipknot, Linkin Park and Bad Omens helped him prepare for his role as Max Cady in Apple TV+’s new 10-part remake of Cape Fear, according to loudersound.com.
The 57-year-old Oscar-winning actor said he and the production “went for a metal look” while developing his vengeance-seeking character, and that specific songs kept him in the required headspace.
He named Linkin Park tracks, including “Given Up” and “Up From The Bottom,” and cited Slipknot, Falling In Reverse and Bad Omens among the acts he listened to repeatedly before filming.
He described those songs as expressing frustration and the struggle to rise from one’s own ashes, which he felt resonated with Max Cady.
Bardem told Kerrang! that the music accompanied him constantly, while driving and before sleep, adding: “It’s not that I use the music. It’s that I can’t live without it.”
The new Cape Fear limited series is an Apple TV+ reimagining of the story first filmed in 1962 and remake by Martin Scorsese in 1991, the latter featuring Robert De Niro’s acclaimed portrayal of Cady.
Bardem has previously spoken about heavy metal’s influence on him, telling Metal Hammer earlier this year that Iron Maiden’s Number Of The Beast album changed his life and praising the band’s lyrical range.
The comments form part of wider interviews in which Bardem has discussed musical influences used to inform his approach to complex roles.
•Featured image: Javier Bardem/Image credit: Apple TV+