Penélope Cruz assured EFE on Monday that Javier Bardem still makes the same impression on her professionally as when they first worked together: that of being before "a force of nature" and "an incredible talent."

Cruz made these remarks on the red carpet of Bunker, the psychological thriller by Florian Zeller that premiered Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), attended by the actress, Bardem, and the French director.

"The same thing I felt when I met him, when they introduced him to me and told me: 'This is your partner' in the first film we made together," Cruz replied when asked what Bardem represents to her as a professional partner.

That film was Jamón, jamón (1992), by Bigas Luna, one of the first major leading roles for both.

"I felt: 'He is a force of nature, an incredible talent,'" explained the actress, who stressed that when they work together, both need to separate their personal relationship from the characters they portray.

Cruz noted that precisely for that reason they try not to force the possibility of coinciding on a project, in either direction. "It is also not something we want to do very often. I believe it is a way of also protecting the relationship, not working together all the time," she added.

Zeller, an Oscar winner for The Father, had no doubts when EFE asked him why he had wanted Cruz and Bardem to star in Bunker.

"I wanted them because they are the best, not only as actors but as human beings. It was a joy to work with them," he stated. And when asked whether it was easier to direct a real-life couple, he responded with humor: "I don't know. We didn't have to rehearse too much, so we saved money."

Tribute to Penélope Cruz in Toronto

Cruz's appearance in Bunker comes just 24 hours after receiving the TIFF Special Tribute award, one of the most important festivals in the world.

On the awards red carpet, the actress told EFE that on that night she was thinking especially of all the people who have accompanied her since the beginning of her career.