GAEL GARCIA BERNAL - BERNAL CLEARS UP IDENTITY CONFUSION

BERNAL CLEARS UP IDENTITY CONFUSION

Mexican actor GAEL GARCIA BERNAL was desperate to appear at this year's (06) London Film Festival because the last time he graced the British capital to promote a film he was mistaken for its director. Bernal appeared alongside his BABEL film-maker and compatriot ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU in the British capital last night (02NOV06), and revealed the last time the pair worked together he inadvertently stole his limelight. He recalls, "I was in London for the Baftas and AMORES PERROS was nominated for Best Foreign Film. It was up against AMELIE and no one was expecting us to win. Alejandro couldn't make the ceremony and offered me his seat and I thought it'd be fun. "When it actually won though, there was no one to accept it but me. I stayed sitting down for ages expecting someone to walk up on stage but it remained empty. I had to go up in the end and was so nervous I forgot to introduce myself. Everyone thought I was Alejandro. "At the party after a very famous director came up to me and said sadly, 'So young, so young. How did he do it?' "I'm glad I can come back to London tonight with Alejandro and set the record straight." Inarritu adds, "For a while after the Baftas so many beautiful leading ladies wanted to sign up for my films. And then they saw I was not this hunk Gael is." The gala screening of Babel closed the Film Festival, which began last month (18OCT06).