Daniel Craig would not have been able to fit “Queer” into his “brand” of being James Bond.
The actor told the New York Times that while starring as 007 across five films from 2006 to 2021, he felt as though he could not deviate from the brand of the iconic literary character. Leading a feature like “Queer” could even have been perceived as stunt casting at the time as well, per the interview.
“I wouldn’t have done it,” Craig said of turning down the Luca Guadagnino film if it was offered it to him 10 years ago. “I was so wrapped up in Bond and what that was, I would have been terrified of doing something like this.”
Craig continued, “Especially early on with Bond, I was like, ‘This is enough. Stay in my lane.’”
Craig’s tenure as Bond began in 2006 with “Casino Royale.” He went on to star in “Quantum of Solace,” “Skyfall,” “Spectre,” and “No Time to Die,” which concluded his turn as 007 in 2021.
Craig explained that as an actor, there is a balance between being a “brand” and selecting roles for their artistic nature.
“It shouldn’t lead the way,” Craig said of weighing whether or not a role would lead to typecasting. “Will the audience respond? You do have to take care of your audience in film, I think, but you can’t really be winking at them while you’re making it.”
He added, “Someone interviewed me the other day saying, ‘How long has it taken you to think up this brand change?’ […] Celebrity kills you. Really, it’s a terrible, terrible thing that can happen and I think you’ve got to really fight against all of the things that it throws in your face, because it’s so easy to be tempted. Generating and maintaining that brand is about how much exposure you have.”
In fact, Craig could relate to his “Queer” character Lee, a WWII veteran who is roaming the streets of Mexico in hopes of belonging.
“I recognize the character in myself,” Craig said. “I recognize the pain, the longing, the yearning, the love, the difficulty and all the faults. […] I’ve had to examine myself a lot over the past 20 years to try and deal with it. There was a time when I locked myself away. This is where the madness lies: You think, ‘I can’t go there because I’m so important.’ I find it really hard, this job, and it gets harder as I get older.”
Craig summed up, “Sometimes I find it very laughable, the idea of maleness. Most men go through life with this act that they do. But it is an act.”
Craig and director Guadagnino were infamously asked during the Venice Film Festival press conference for the “Queer” premiere if there could ever be a gay James Bond. Instead, “Queer” auteur Guadagnino said, “Guys, let’s be adults in the room for a second. There is no way around the fact that nobody would ever know James Bond’s desires, period.”
And there seems to be no love lost with Craig either about no longer playing Bond.
When asked by Variety, “If you were to pass the James Bond torch, who would you love to see play him?,” Craig laughed and said, “I don’t care.”
Craig and Guadagnino are in talks to reunite on DC Studios’ feature “Sgt. Rock.”
