Javier Bardem revealed why he almost didn't date Penelope Cruz

Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are making history as the sixth married couple to be nominated in acting categories in the same year at the Oscars.

The couple has been together since 2007, married since 2010, and they have two children. They've largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight in an effort to protect their kids.

But their relationship wasn't all smooth sailing. In fact, it took 15 years after they first met on the set of the Spanish comedy "Jamón Jamón" to get together.

Although Bardem said in an interview with GQ UK in 2017 that the connection between him and Cruz was "immediate" on set, nothing happened until years later.

As fate would have it, they were once again destined to be co-stars in the Woody Allen film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" when their mutual attraction finally took flight. However, there was one thing holding Bardem from pursuing Cruz, which was as he described it her "feistiness."

He explained that he was worried when they first met that he wouldn't be able to properly meet Cruz's energy. He said, "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."

In addition to his initial hesitation, he also shared another hurdle between the two: neither of them was ready to make the first move.

It wasn't until a wrap party that was thrown at the end of filming that they both were able to finally express their interest in each other.

In 2011, Cruz quietly gave birth to their first child, Leo. Throughout her pregnancy, she chose to keep her life private.

Cruz was pregnant while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which she spoke about to Vogue.

"I was pregnant and a pirate. A beautiful experience," she told the outlet. "I want my son — and my kids if I have more — to grow up in a way that is as anonymous as possible. The fact that his father and I have chosen to do the work that we do, doesn't give anybody the right to invade our privacy."

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