Javier Bardem has got quite the career. The Spanish actor’s physique has made him become a part of innumerable action flicks including the likes of Skyfall and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales amongst others. One wouldn’t be wrong to assume that he’s carved out a niche for himself. Yet Bardem wanted to mix things up and star in The Little Mermaid. And the odds seemed to be tipping in his favor at one point in time.
How Javier Bardem got into The Little Mermaid
Javier Bardem was looking forward to star in The Little Mermaid
In an episode on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Javier Bardem opened up about the “fishy moves” he had to pull off in order to land the role of King Triton. Playing the ruler of the Atlantica would have been an honor for him.
Director Rob Marshall was looking to change things with the 2023-live action movie. One such element was none other than King Triton. The Dune star would describe his rendition of Triton as “a little less grumpy” than the original.
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A phone call that sent Javier Bardem underwater
Javier Bardem as King Triton
Rob Marshall was weighing his choices, with Bardem emerging as one of the prominent names on the list. Just when he was about to ring up the Loving Pablo star, the latter reached out to him. For the role of Triton, that is.
Starring in The Little Mermaid had been on Javier Bardem’s mind for some time now. The opportunity to work with Marshall was a prospect he wasn’t willing to let go of. And another reason was his 7-year-old daughter. This meant he would pull the levers in order to have his way.
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Javier Bardem’s daughter wanted to know which The Little Mermaid character was he playing
Javier Bardem’s daughter wanted him to play Ariel
In an episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Javier Bardem gave fans an insight into how his conversation with Rob Marshall went. He said,
“I texted Rob Marshall, whom I wanted to work with since many years ago and I said, ‘If there’s such a thing as King Triton with an accent, will you consider me to play it?’ And he said, ‘I swear to god. I’m in the grocery shop talking to John (producer) about you and I was going to call you in five minutes.””
When the No Country For Old Men star let his then-7-year-old daughter in on the gossip, she had one question, “Are you gonna play Ariel?” 
A little heart must have been broken that day.
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Source: YouTube
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