Why Daniel Craig Waited Until After 'James Bond' to Take on 'Queer' Role Revealed: 'It Would Look Reactionary'
Daniel Craig revealed that taking on the role in Luca Guadagnino's "Queer" would not have been feasible for him while involved in the "James Bond film" series.
The movie "Queer" dives into the story of William Lee, an American expatriate drawn to Eugene Allerton, a former US Navy serviceman. It is adapted from William S. Burroughs's novel of the same name.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Craig revealed, "I couldn't have done this while doing Bond. It would look reactionary, like I was showing my range."
"Early on with Bond I thought I had to do other work, but I didn't. I was becoming a star, whatever that means, and people wanted me in their films. Incredible."
He continued, "Most actors are out of work for large chunks so you take your job offers — but they left me empty. Then, bottom line, I got paid. I was so exhausted at the end of a Bond it would take me six months to recover emotionally."
"I always had the attitude that life must come first and, when work came first for a while, it strung me out."
For 15 years, Craig portrayed the iconic role of the British Secret Service agent in five Bond films, starting with "Casino Royale" and concluding his time as 007 with "No Time to Die" in 2021.
In a separate part of his conversation with the publication, Craig rejected the notion that depicting a gay character while continuing to star in the Bond series would have conveyed a specific message about masculinity.
He expressed, "It's just not a conversation I wanted. I had it all the way through Bond anyway."
"Could there be this Bond? That Bond? So anything that is going to inflame that conversation? No — life's too short."
