Here in Hollywood: Javier Bardem’s shocking confession in our 'F1' interview

“They’re gonna realize that I suck.”

That’s the voice in Javier Bardem’s head. Yes, that Javier Bardem. Oscar winner. International icon. The man who made a bowl haircut terrifying in "No Country for Old Men." And yet, sitting beside Damson Idris and Kerry Condon days before their film "F1" premieres, Bardem shrugs like a student on his first day of class.

“There’s always this imposter syndrome,” he admits. “Someday they’re gonna kick me out of the set. Until that moment happens, I just pretend I know what I’m doing.”

“I can't believe that Javier Bardem would say that he has imposter syndrome,” I blurt out while Condon gapes and Idris’ eyes widen. “No, I’m freaking out from that. He feels what I feel. That’s impossible,” Idris agrees.

But it’s not. What emerges in this brief but open conversation among three of the most dynamic actors working today is not bravado. It’s vulnerability and a shared understanding that no amount of success makes you immune to self-doubt.

It’s a lesson that the film imparts as well: You do not have to banish fear completely. You can carry it, and keep going anyway.

Damson Idris: On his drive to succeed

Damson Idris. Warner Bros

Before "Snowfall," before the global red carpets, Damson Idris was another actor in South London with a suitcase full of ambition and not much else. I asked if he could recall a moment in his life when the drive to succeed or better oneself helped him to get to where he is now, i.e. going toe to toe with Brad Pitt in a huge Hollywood movie.

“Getting on a plane leaving London at 23 years old to go to Los Angeles and try and audition for this TV role, you know?” he readily shares. “I had no money. Just kind of that motivation and drive to try and pull it off and beat thousands of people.”

It was a leap of faith that paid off. His performance in "Snowfall" -- delivered with a flawless American accent and emotional depth -- became the kind of revelation casting directors dream about. It was celebrated as layered, raw, and in command.

Since then, Idris has stayed in motion. He takes on roles that stretch him further each time. But even now, that voice of uncertainty hasn’t disappeared. It just rides shotgun.

In this latest role in a high-octane, emotionally grounded Formula 1 film, he found himself alongside not just Hollywood royalty but actual racing royalty. Meeting Lewis Hamilton, F1 legend and producer on the project, brought a surreal moment back down to Earth.

He recalls meeting Hamilton on the road — on the way to their official conversation together with "F1" director Joseph Kosinski.

“I remember we pulled out at the same time. I had a Porsche and he had a Mercedes, tsk,” Damson says, grinning.

“And I drove behind him for a while, right? And he is driving so safe. Like going at 20 miles per hour. I was like: Man! Take that, Lewis Hamilton!” He laughs while mimicking the sound his car made as he playfully overtook the racing champ.

“Oh, maybe he's sick of going fast, and on his day off, he wants to go slow because it's relaxing,” Condon says.

I add, “I guess there's a psychological aspect to it. They know the consequences.”

“Yup, he was probably like: 'Look at that idiot! We need to recast that guy,’” Idris says with a laugh.

He learned that day that even the fastest man in the world knows when to ease off. There’s a peculiar irony to the fact that a film about professional racing became a metaphor for slowing down.

“I actually drove so much safer,” Idris admits when asked about life after shooting the film. “Jumping out of the cars in the movie, and getting back on the road… it was really interesting.

Kerry Condon: When the goalpost keeps moving

Kerry Condon. Warner Bros

Kerry Condon had a different route to stardom. She arrived slowly, deliberately, like someone walking into a room she helped build.

The Irish actress has been quietly crafting her career for over two decades, bringing fire and finesse to roles in "Rome," "Better Call Saul," and most recently, "The Banshees of Inisherin," which earned her an Oscar nomination and a long-overdue moment in the spotlight.

“I always wanted to be an actress, and I was always very driven,” she says. “And I actually feel kind of blessed that I was, because I see people who don’t know what they want to do, and it’s nearly harder when you don’t know what you’re good at. Or if you’re good at a lot of things.”

Her self-awareness is striking. So is her honesty about the never-ending climb.

“The goalpost, when I get it, it shifts to something else,” she says. “And I sort of nearly disregard all the things that I’ve done to get to here.”

This new film, epic in scale and intimate in its emotional beats, feels like yet another summit. But she hasn’t stopped feeling inspired.

“It’s never really lost on me. I still feel very lucky when I get things.”

Kerry’s genius is in making viewers feel like she’s still one of them, even as she soars.

Javier Bardem: The master still learningJavier Bardem. Warner BrosFor someone with Javier Bardem’s résumé with all the industry acclaim, there’s a surprising gentleness to how he talks about the work.

“You start, and it’s like, ‘How do you do this? How do I speak? How do I move?’” he says. “And then it starts to happen… But that’s also the beauty of it. You don’t really stop learning.”

That humility doesn’t seem to come from insecurity, but more of respect for the craft. His stance is a refreshing reminder that achieving greatness is not necessarily a stop point but a continuing process.

Bardem recently saw "F1" with his children, and the experience left him genuinely awestruck.

“I couldn’t believe that I was in that movie,” he says. “With that quality all over: from the team, performers, the lighting, everything… To be part of that, it’s like, you wouldn’t believe it. You don’t believe it yourself. Like, wow. What a gift.”

You’d expect a man with his career to be jaded by now. He isn’t. If anything, he’s more grateful than ever. And he has an easy rapport with his junior costars, listening to their responses and commenting as needed.

Talking with these three -- the backbone of this racing film that centers Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes -- about their life and career was instructive. They were generous about sharing how they found that middle gear where ambition and humility can coexist. And the idea that people at the top of their game still feel unworthy, still question themselves, is eye-opening.

These are not stars who float above the fray but stay grounded. Their successes are tempered by a healthy dose of self-awareness and vulnerability. They don’t pretend to have arrived. Because in truth, they don’t want to. As Bardem puts it: “That’s the beauty of it. You don’t really stop learning.”

And that, maybe, is the real fuel behind the drive.