Nicola Dove © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) With his on-set ankle injury and an unplanned explosion on set, there were rumors that Daniel Craig’s last go-round as James Bond was doomed.
…And that was before the studio decided to bump the release over fears of coronavirus.
However, the actor tells GQ that the naysayers’ claims at the time, “pi**es me off.” He adds, “Because I’m just like, ‘Don’t curse our movie.’ And also, we’re doing our best here.'”
In a probing interview with the magazine, Craig brings up his financially strapped upbringing, his early love of acting, and insecurities playing the superspy, replacing Pierce Brosnan.
Craig explained his hesitation with taking the role, and later his nerves with people accepting him in the part, what with all those “James Blonde” headlines before his first film, Casino Royale, opened in 2006.
His nerves ran all the way into the film’s premiere — perhaps not surprisingly considering Queen Elizabeth herself attended — and only waned when the audience began clapping after the traditional Bond opening “teaser.”
Fast forward five films later, and Craig’s Bond movies have been critical and commercial successes, and he’s ready to hang the tux up for good. But first he had to get past the last day of shooting.
“I had a whole thing kind of put together in my head that I wanted to say [to the crew]. I couldn’t get it out.”
Tears and Campari flowed into the next day. Series producer Barbara Broccoli described herself as an “utter mess.”
Craig is now at peace with the decision to walk away.
“I don’t think I would have been if I’d done the last film [SPECTRE] and that had been it. But this, I’m fine.”
He opined, “We raised the bar.”
No Time to Die opens Nov. 25.
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