For Javier Bardem, time is always of the essence.
The actor, who stars as Cuban-American TV star Desi Arnaz in the upcoming film Being the Ricardos, may know a thing or two about being one half of a widely known dynamic duo. And as the dad of two exclusively told E! News of his long-term private relationship with wife Penelope Cruz, the secret to maintaining their power couple status will always be putting those closest to him first.
"When you have a family," the actor told E! News during the film's Los Angeles premiere on Dec. 6, "you have to be more alert of making sure that there's time for the family—which is, by far, what is most important."
Just as a refresher, Javier and Penelope, who tied the knot in July 2010, have been notoriously private about their romance. The pair are parents to son Leo, 10, and daughter Luna, 8.
The biographical drama, which debuted in theaters on Dec. 10 and will be available on Amazon Prime Dec. 21, follows Bardem as Arnaz opposite his on and off-screen wife, Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman).
Being the Ricardos centers around a tumultuous production week on their hit show, I Love Lucy, and the complicated real-life drama that develops between Ball and Arnaz when the cameras are off.
For the magic that happens between Bardem and Kidman on-screen, the actor credits the instant chemistry made possible by his co-star.
Joking that they "had to" have chemistry to make it happen, the actor explained, "We had no time to rehearse. But, the good thing was she was coming with a lot of work, and I was coming with a lot of work, and we just exchanged and it happened to work—meaning we were relying on each other and trusting each other to make the journey together."
And that journey can explored by fans firsthand when the Amazon Prime film hits the streaming service later this month.
Watch his interview with E! News above!