IF YOU'RE in the Comunidad Valenciana any time between now and the early hours of March 20, you may notice an awful lot of noise and colour on the streets. It's the season for the region's biggest festival,...
Celebs and where to find them: North Costa Blanca's star homeowners
02/10/2018
'MAN on the moon' Pedro Duque hogged this week's headlines about his Jávea holiday villa – in fact, the last time Spain's new-ish science minister attracted so much media attention was probably when he followed in Neil Armstrong's small steps and giant leaps 15 years ago, becoming the nation's super-hero overnight. But many residents on and regular visitors to the northern Costa Blanca were unconcerned about his tax affairs; they were simply excited to hear they had an astronaut for a neighbour.
Many more were rather blasé about the whole thing, since celebrities in Jávea and its orbit are fairly commonplace: actors, singers, footballers and other sports personalities are known to have holiday homes in the area, or to make regular trips there for relaxing summer breaks – or even to film Hollywood blockbusters.
Silver screen and sporting stars
Jávea has never been much of a stranger to celebhood – acclaimed 19th-century painter Joaquín Sorolla and global fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga holidayed and lived there respectively – although its most famous living resident actually has a seafront esplanade named after him. David Ferrer, former world number three tennis star, holder of 10 ATP 500 and 16 ATP 250 titles, the 2012 winner of the Masters 1000 in Paris, Wimbledon quarter-finalist and fourth in the London Olympics, is Jávea's greatest ambassador, even though he is barely there during the season; however, after 2019 locals are likely to see more of him as he plans to retire from the game.
Also in sport, former England managers Terry Venables and Sam Allardyce own holiday homes in Jávea and in Moraira respectively, whilst boxer Chris Eubank has his own relaxing bolthole in the latter.
A celeb whose delicious recipes rival the delectable local cuisine, TV chef Nigella Lawson (second picture) has a villa in Jávea she uses for her sunshine breaks, and – turning to the silver screen – actors Catherine Zeta-Jones and her husband Michael Douglas (first picture), who have both been seen yachting in Ibiza in the past, have also chosen Jávea for their vacation pad.
Cinema history's second-oldest Bond Girl – after Penélope Cruz, at 40 – the woman who played Pussy Galore at 38 is said to be still on the acting scene now at the age of 93: British actress Honor Blackman was reputed to have a holiday home in Moraira back in 2012 and, although it is not clear whether she still owns it, was frequently seen out and about in the idyllic seaside enclave.
Pretty Woman star Richard Gere, married to Spanish businesswoman Alejandra Silva, with whom he runs homeless shelters in Spain, founded the Buddhist centre in Pedreguer, although he has been seen more in Madrid in recent times and is a huge fan of the city's mayoress Manuela Carmena, whose humanitarian policies, especially towards street-dwellers, the US actor greatly admires.
Spanish stars on the Costa
Long-standing news reader on Spain's third channel Antena 3, Matías Prats has a house on Jávea's El Rodat urbanisation and radio DJ and TV presenter Inés Ballester – who is originally from Burriana (Castellón province) – and news reader Manuel Torreiglesias also have second homes in the town.
Sharing the silver screen with Penélope Cruz's 'Bond villain' husband Javier Bardem, actress Belén Rueda – whose film début came in 2004 on The Others'and Vanilla Sky director Alejandro Amenábar's The Sea Inside, in which Bardem plays a paraplegic man fighting for his right to euthanasia – is said to have a vacation property in Jávea, as does 'super surgeon' Dr Pedro Cavadas, and former chairman of Valencia FC Juan Bautista Soler, whose yacht is reputed to be one of the largest at the local yacht club.
Just passing through
Bourne star Matt Damon (third picture) caused a stir in 2016 when he stayed in Jávea in order to attend a friend's wedding, being stopped every few strides by expats and Spaniards alike seeking a 'selfie' with him – and was reported to have obliged very willingly and with lots of smiles.
The friendly, approachable US actor was one of the more recent to grace the northern Costa Blanca with his presence: Jávea's dramatic cliffs passed for Cape Horn, the far tip of Argentina and Chile, in 1971 with Kirk Douglas and Yul Brynner starring in the cinema adaptation of French author Jules Verne's Lighthouse at the End of the World.
The town also briefly became an outpost of Florida in 1988, when the cast of the spoof cop film series Police Academy shot the fifth episode, Assignment Miami Beach; then, 21 years later and still sticking with comedy, the US star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos, was on location in the port area for scenes in My Life in Ruins.
A fleeting visit to Jávea's Granadella Bay by Hollywood tough-guy Bruce Willis was immortalised in his 2010 film, In the Cold Light of Day, although co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Henry Cavill were not on set at the time.
Northern Ireland's 'down-with-the-kids' stepdad in Love, Actually took on a more sinister role as a former government agent falsely accused of murder in 2014 – but Liam Neeson's scene filmed on a Jávea beach for Taken 3 was even briefer than those of Willis; it was over in seconds in the final production.
Much excitement bubbled on the urbanisation Monte Pego, near the village of Pego in 2012 when a film crew was spotted near a luxury villa – but residents, mostly northern European expatriates, had no idea they were witnessing the creation of Ridley Scott's award-winning Hollywood thriller The Counselor, or that they were just metres away from a star-studded cast including Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Cameron Díaz.
Related Topics
'MAN on the moon' Pedro Duque hogged this week's headlines about his Jávea holiday villa – in fact, the last time Spain's new-ish science minister attracted so much media attention was probably when he followed in Neil Armstrong's small steps and giant leaps 15 years ago, becoming the nation's super-hero overnight. But many residents on and regular visitors to the northern Costa Blanca were unconcerned about his tax affairs; they were simply excited to hear they had an astronaut for a neighbour.
Many more were rather blasé about the whole thing, since celebrities in Jávea and its orbit are fairly commonplace: actors, singers, footballers and other sports personalities are known to have holiday homes in the area, or to make regular trips there for relaxing summer breaks – or even to film Hollywood blockbusters.
Silver screen and sporting stars
Jávea has never been much of a stranger to celebhood – acclaimed 19th-century painter Joaquín Sorolla and global fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga holidayed and lived there respectively – although its most famous living resident actually has a seafront esplanade named after him. David Ferrer, former world number three tennis star, holder of 10 ATP 500 and 16 ATP 250 titles, the 2012 winner of the Masters 1000 in Paris, Wimbledon quarter-finalist and fourth in the London Olympics, is Jávea's greatest ambassador, even though he is barely there during the season; however, after 2019 locals are likely to see more of him as he plans to retire from the game.
Also in sport, former England managers Terry Venables and Sam Allardyce own holiday homes in Jávea and in Moraira respectively, whilst boxer Chris Eubank has his own relaxing bolthole in the latter.
A celeb whose delicious recipes rival the delectable local cuisine, TV chef Nigella Lawson (second picture) has a villa in Jávea she uses for her sunshine breaks, and – turning to the silver screen – actors Catherine Zeta-Jones and her husband Michael Douglas (first picture), who have both been seen yachting in Ibiza in the past, have also chosen Jávea for their vacation pad.
Cinema history's second-oldest Bond Girl – after Penélope Cruz, at 40 – the woman who played Pussy Galore at 38 is said to be still on the acting scene now at the age of 93: British actress Honor Blackman was reputed to have a holiday home in Moraira back in 2012 and, although it is not clear whether she still owns it, was frequently seen out and about in the idyllic seaside enclave.
Pretty Woman star Richard Gere, married to Spanish businesswoman Alejandra Silva, with whom he runs homeless shelters in Spain, founded the Buddhist centre in Pedreguer, although he has been seen more in Madrid in recent times and is a huge fan of the city's mayoress Manuela Carmena, whose humanitarian policies, especially towards street-dwellers, the US actor greatly admires.
Spanish stars on the Costa
Long-standing news reader on Spain's third channel Antena 3, Matías Prats has a house on Jávea's El Rodat urbanisation and radio DJ and TV presenter Inés Ballester – who is originally from Burriana (Castellón province) – and news reader Manuel Torreiglesias also have second homes in the town.
Sharing the silver screen with Penélope Cruz's 'Bond villain' husband Javier Bardem, actress Belén Rueda – whose film début came in 2004 on The Others'and Vanilla Sky director Alejandro Amenábar's The Sea Inside, in which Bardem plays a paraplegic man fighting for his right to euthanasia – is said to have a vacation property in Jávea, as does 'super surgeon' Dr Pedro Cavadas, and former chairman of Valencia FC Juan Bautista Soler, whose yacht is reputed to be one of the largest at the local yacht club.
Just passing through
Bourne star Matt Damon (third picture) caused a stir in 2016 when he stayed in Jávea in order to attend a friend's wedding, being stopped every few strides by expats and Spaniards alike seeking a 'selfie' with him – and was reported to have obliged very willingly and with lots of smiles.
The friendly, approachable US actor was one of the more recent to grace the northern Costa Blanca with his presence: Jávea's dramatic cliffs passed for Cape Horn, the far tip of Argentina and Chile, in 1971 with Kirk Douglas and Yul Brynner starring in the cinema adaptation of French author Jules Verne's Lighthouse at the End of the World.
The town also briefly became an outpost of Florida in 1988, when the cast of the spoof cop film series Police Academy shot the fifth episode, Assignment Miami Beach; then, 21 years later and still sticking with comedy, the US star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos, was on location in the port area for scenes in My Life in Ruins.
A fleeting visit to Jávea's Granadella Bay by Hollywood tough-guy Bruce Willis was immortalised in his 2010 film, In the Cold Light of Day, although co-stars Sigourney Weaver and Henry Cavill were not on set at the time.
Northern Ireland's 'down-with-the-kids' stepdad in Love, Actually took on a more sinister role as a former government agent falsely accused of murder in 2014 – but Liam Neeson's scene filmed on a Jávea beach for Taken 3 was even briefer than those of Willis; it was over in seconds in the final production.
Much excitement bubbled on the urbanisation Monte Pego, near the village of Pego in 2012 when a film crew was spotted near a luxury villa – but residents, mostly northern European expatriates, had no idea they were witnessing the creation of Ridley Scott's award-winning Hollywood thriller The Counselor, or that they were just metres away from a star-studded cast including Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Cameron Díaz.
Related Topics
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