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Javier Bardem dressed as a Bond Girl and hid in a cake for Daniel Craig’s birthday

Javier Bardem dressed as a Bond Girl, jumped out of a cake and sang Marilyn Monroe's version of Happy Birthday for Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem Bond movie

We are used to hearing certain sorts of stories from the sets of Bond movies – usually about how the death-defying stunts were pulled off. Less common is hearing that an actor playing a Bond villain dressed as a Bond girl as a surprise for Bond himself – Daniel Craig.

Javier Bardem played the main Bond villain in 2012’s Skyfall. Craig and Bardem were recently reminiscing about those days during Variety’s Actors-on-Actors series of conversations which form part of awards season. It turns out that Bardem and Craig have birthdays one day apart in March, so they had a joint birthday party while filming the action movie.

“I remember you were in drag, but I know that’s a whole other story,” Craig said. “Coming out of a cake,” Bardem added. “I was supposed to be the Bond girl that night, and oh, my God, I was.”

Bardem is currently awards-campaigning for his role as Desi Arnaz in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, in which he plays the husband and professional partner of Nicole Kidman’s Lucille Ball. Arnaz was a singer, musician and touring entertainer before starring in the hugely successful sitcom I Love Lucy.

“Well, (I’m not musical), apart from coming out of birthday cakes dressed like a Bond girl,” Bardem told Craig. “I sang Happy Birthday to You in my best Marilyn Monroe impersonation.”

“When (the Being the Ricardos team) told me to sing, I was like, ‘Are you sure of that? Are you sure you want me singing?’ And then I tried.”

Daniel Craig has recently appeared in his Bond swan song – No Time to Die – after 15 years in the role. Christoph Waltz returned as Blofeld and was joined on villainy duties by Rami Malek. Speculation as to who will play Bond next is rife.

If you want to catch up before the next Bond is cast, check out our guide on how to watch the Bond movies in order.