Javier Bardem thought twice about dating Penelope Cruz because she's so fiery.
Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz
The 48-year-old actor - who starred alongside Penelope in the Woody Allen-directed 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' in 2008 - has admitted his wife boasts the same feistiness as her on-screen character Maria Elena and that led Javier to question whether the Spanish beauty was right for him.
Javier shared: "Oh, boy. She has that feistiness. There are those scenes where we are arguing, she's throwing plates and so on.
"I had to wonder, 'Do I really want this?' She has what I call the loving blood. Passion for everything."
But Javier concluded that Penelope's passionate personality is what makes her both beautiful and sexy.
He told GQ magazine: "That's what I find attractive. There is beauty and there is being sexy. Penelope has both."
Penelope, 43, won an Academy Award for playing Javier's emotionally unstable love interest in the movie, which also starred Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall.
The couple - who have a son and a daughter together - tied the knot two years later, but have since made a conscious decision to keep their relationship low profile.
Meanwhile, despite Javier's love of his wife's fiery temperament, the actor has admitted to hating on-screen violence.
The 'Skyfall' star has played a string of dark characters during his award-winning career, but tries to shy away from violence after being involved in a fight during his youth.
He explained: "From that moment on, I couldn't stand violence. I still can't even watch it. I can't bear it."
Javier admitted his attitude was especially problematic during filming for the Coen brothers-directed crime movie 'No Country for Old Men'.
The Spaniard said: "So if I hate violence so much why did I do 'No Country For Old Men', right? I know, I know.
"But you should have seen me off camera, playing Anton on that movie ... when the camera stopped rolling I would beg the Coen brothers 'please take that gun out of my face guys, please...'.
"Man, they would be laughing their asses off. I love them, they're geniuses. But it was tough."
Tagged in Scarlett Johansson Javier Bardem Penelope Cruz