Javier Bardem: No Date With Oscar

Even though he won Best Supporting Actor last year, the Spanish heartthrob won't be in Hollywood on Sunday

Javier Bardem will not be at the Oscars on Sunday.

Even though he should be there presenting, because he won Best Supporting Actor last year for his work in No Country for Old Men, his rep tells me he has to skip out because of work commitments in Europe.

Bardem is stuck in Barcelona shooting his upcoming Spanish-language film Biutiful with director Alejandro González Iñárritu, according to the rep and a statement released by film company Mod Producciones.

His absence also means he won't be in Hollywood to support rumored-to-be girlfriend Penélope Cruz, who is up for Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

In year's past, Best Supporting Actor winners from the year before presented the new Best Supporting Actress and vice versa.

However, even if Bardem was there on Sunday, I'm told there wouldn't be a chance of him handing the Oscar to Cruz because first-time producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon are said to have changed the long-running tradition.