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Jenny Peters Mon Nov 5, 1:54 PM ET

Los Angeles - Looking at the normally swooningly handsome Spanish actor Javier Bardem on the red carpet at the "No Country for Old Men" film premiere Sunday night in Hollywood, it is hard to believe he is the same person that wreaks violent havoc throughout that modern western drama. With his short-cropped hair and scruffy beard, the Oscar-nominated actor was all smiles both at the premiere held at El Capitan Theater and later at the post-party at the Roosevelt Hotel down the street. It was a complete contrast to his grim, weird-looking character in the Coen brothers' latest film gem; there, Bardem wears his hair in a long, straight bob, a look that apparently harkens back to Texas style circa 1980.

That's when "No Country for Old Men" takes place, and as Bardem tells it, that strange hairstyle was thanks to Tommy Lee Jones, his co-star in the film.

"Apparently, Tommy Lee Jones brought a book to the Coens about dark places like bars and whorehouses in Texas and New Mexico, from back in the Sixties. And there were some amazing photographs that I haven't seen. Some of the customers in those places were wearing that hair and the Coens said, Wouldn't that be great?' So thanks to Tommy Lee, I had to spend three months with their hair."

But Bardem admits that the style was a key to his chilling performance, which was already generating Oscar-nomination buzz at the after party, where Bardem joined Tess Harper, John Malkovich, and Olivier Martinez to celebrate.

"The very first day, Paul, the hairdresser, and I went to the trailer and [he cut] my hair because I had long hair,' he recalled. "And he did, like, tuck, tuck, tuck and I saw the Coens laughing. I said, 'what happened? I need a mirror, man.' I saw it and I said, 'wow, we got a character now. We have a character.' I mean it was their idea, but I thought the hair really helped me to be [messed] up for three months, because that was my hair and I had to wear that hair for three months in my life. What a relief when I finally got rid of it!"

A large crowd formed at the premiere, including Bardem's co-stars Jones, Josh Brolin, a very pregnant Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Dillahunt, Steven Root, and Beth Grant, as well as the Coens and their glittering fan club Casey Affleck, Gina Gershon, Bruce Davison, Hugh Laurie, Julie Delpy, Judge Reinhold, and Thandie Newton and based on the roar of applause that followed the closing scene, everyone agrees with Bardem's appraisal of the talented brothers whose previous film credits include "Fargo," "Blood Simple," and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"