Playing international man of mystery James Bond can take quite the individual, but three years after the release of “No Time to Die,” his final spin in the Aston Martin, Daniel Craig is finally starting to release himself from the pressures the role created inside him. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Craig referenced singer/songwriter Chappell Roan‘s rise to stardom and how she’s pushed against the desires of fans to protect her own space and mental health as an inspiration for this new chapter in his life.
“I really admire the guts to say those things,” Craig said, adding, “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.”
Especially in today’s day and age where so much talent is boxed into parading themselves around for fans 24/7, in public or online. Craig continued, “Generating and maintaining that brand is about how much exposure you have.”
In maintaining the Bond brand during his tenure, Craig often felt like he couldn’t take on more daring parts like the one he plays in Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” even though it was these characters he felt more drawn to playing.
“I know lots of tough men in this world who are vulnerable,” Craig said earlier in the interview with The New York Times, “and I like to portray that in movies. That truth is interesting to me.”
Despite the story taking place in post-war Mexico City and Craig being happily married to actress Rachel Weisz, he shared that he felt a closeness with the man he plays in “Queer,” perhaps more-so than many of the other characters he’s inhabited.
“I recognize the character in myself,” said Craig. “I recognize the pain, the longing, the yearning, the love, the difficulty, and all the faults.”
He added later of avoiding these parts while playing Bond, “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.’”
A24 releases “Queer” in theaters on November 27.
