With Daniel Craig making waves on the 2024 movie schedule through his Queer performance, the actor has also been taking the time to deconstruct his time as 007. With the James Bond movies officially in the rear view, the typically frank Craig has given even more insight into his view on the role and how he developed his approach. As he recently dug into one of his “biggest reservations” with slipping into the famed tuxedo, the actor also made a great point about what makes a solid Commander Bond.
Sitting down with The New Yorker to promote his latest picture, Daniel Craig once again displayed his charmingly honest persona. Admitting to one of the big caveats he kept in mind with his star-making role, Craig tied it into what he feels makes a solid James Bond with this mindset:
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. … it’s kind of the worst thing you can do as an actor, to start judging the character you’re playing.
As a fan of the Bond franchise myself, Daniel Craig’s assessment of Ian Fleming’s character makes total sense. James Bond as a “construct of masculinity” isn’t something that can be taken seriously in reality. That’s why the character is so frequently sent up, and why it’s also so easy to do.
At the same time, if you’re playing the role, you need to treat it as seriously as you would a piece of Shakespearian theater. I’d even go as far as suggesting this is why some 007 fans aren’t totally on board with Roger Moore’s James Bond. While his acting chops were never a question, his rejection of Bond as a cold blooded killer led to some of the silliest moments in the series so far.
Some fans do favor that sort of approach though, and as we add to what we know about Bond 26 includes the whispers from some that want a more lighthearted Commander to make an appearance. Which ultimately is the best example of why the audience can be so split on reacting to various eras of James Bond history.
Depending on how you view the masculinity of a character that has been very free in his bedroom, but hasn’t suffered many (if any) consequences, your viewpoint on something like No Time To Die will vary. But at the same time, I think we should all agree that no matter what we think of Daniel Craig’s 007, the fact that he took it so seriously is a credit to the man’s time in the tuxedo.
Those of you who’d like to evaluate those pictures for yourself can do so through a Prime Video subscription, as almost all of the James Bond adventures are currently streaming at that location. As for the whereabouts of Casino Royale, you’ll need a Paramount+ subscription to dig into that chapter’s goodness.