Daniel Craig Says ‘Societal Construct Of Masculinity’ In James Bond Was Laughable – News18

Last Updated:December 02, 2024, 18:28 IST

During one of the promotional events for Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, Daniel Craig reflected on playing the “most famous icon of masculinity ever”.

Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey’s upcoming film Queer continues to dominate headlines for all the right reasons. Primarily known for his portrayal of spy agent James Bond in five movies, the actor took the entertainment world by storm with his role as the legendary MI6 agent, but he had his own reservations about the character. In a recent interview, he mentioned that the “societal construct of masculinity” in James Bond was “laughable”.

During one of the promotional endeavours for Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, Daniel Craig was speaking with The New Yorker. During the conversation, he opened up about his reservations about the iconic character. The actor reflected on playing the “most famous icon of masculinity ever,” as he explained, “I would say one of my biggest reservations about playing Bond would be the construct of masculinity.”

“It was often very laughable, but you can’t mock it and expect it to work. You have to buy into it,” he said. However, Craig added that he would never judge a character he had played on screen.

Notably, Daniel Craig played the spy in 2006’s Casino Royale, 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall, 2015’s Spectre and 2021’s No Time to Die. After the release of the 2021 film, the actor has taken on several characters outside the franchise like the Knives Out series and Queer.

During the interview, Daniel Craig also shared his emotions and said he felt “suddenly kind of free” after Bond, adding that the popularity of the franchise cost him his “freedom as a semi-anonymous human being.”

Reflecting on his movie Queer and his role that tackles vulnerability, Daniel Craig said, “Listen, James Bond is nearly 20 years of my life. When I took it on I was one person. I’m now a completely different person. I’m not doing this movie in response to that. I’m not that small. But I couldn’t have done this movie when I was doing Bond.”

Queer, set in 1950s Mexico City, explores the story of an outcast American expat who is smitten by a younger student, Eugene, played by Drew Starkey. The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is the on-screen adaptation of William S Burroughs’ unfinished semi-autobiographical novella of the same name.