‘I was physically and mentally under siege’: Daniel Craig admits he ‘locked himself in and closed curtains’ while struggling to cope with James Bond fame
- Speaking in Apple TV+ documentary Being James Bond, Daniel told how he was not prepared for the level of scrutiny that came with accepting the role
- He said: ‘I didn’t like the newfound level of fame. It was Hugh Jackman who helped me to come to terms with it and appreciate it’
- The film star was initially reluctant to accept the iconic role, saying he wouldn’t know what to do with it
- Daniel made a farewell speech to the cast and crew of No Time To Die during filming and added he is proud of his work in the franchise
- He said: ‘I look back at the films and am incredibly proud of every one of them. Leaving this role is not easy’
- Daniel made his Bond debut in Casino Royale in 2005 and has since starred in Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre
Daniel Craig has admitted he felt ‘physically and mentally under siege’ when trying to cope with his newfound James Bond fame.
The actor, 53, became known around the world when he took over the role of 007 from Pierce Brosnan, making his first appearance as the spy in Casino Royale in 2005.
Speaking in Apple TV+ documentary Being James Bond, Daniel told how he was not prepared for the level of scrutiny that came with accepting the role.
Candid: Daniel Craig has admitted he felt ‘physically and mentally under siege’ when trying to cope with his newfound James Bond fame (pictured in Skyfall)
He said: ‘My personal life was affected by being that famous all of a sudden. I used to lock myself in and close the curtains, I was in cloud cuckoo land. I was physically and mentally under siege.
‘I didn’t like the newfound level of fame. It was Hugh Jackman who helped me to come to terms with it and appreciate it.’
The film star was initially reluctant to accept the role, saying he wouldn’t know what to do with it.
Daniel explained: ‘As far as I was concerned I was already more successful than I would ever be as an actor — I did not have a cool persona.
Leading man: The actor, 53, became known around the world when he took over the role of 007 from Pierce Brosnan, making his first appearance as the spy in Casino Royale in 2005
‘Pierce had done Remington Steele, Roger Moore had done The Saint — they had done these parts where people had gone, “That’s James Bond”.
‘I had done weird arty movies. It was a harder sell. And I didn’t really want to do it, because I thought I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I was going to get the script, read it, and say, “Thanks but no”.
He added: ‘But little did I know, it was Casino Royale. The story was solid, the script was solid.’
However, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said she was determined to hire him: ‘I always thought whenever he was on the screen you could not watch anyone else. He is lit from within. It was clear he is a movie star and a great actor to boot.’
Fame: Speaking in Apple TV documentary Being James Bond, Daniel told how he was not prepared for the level of scrutiny that came with accepting the role
Barbara added that the studio wanted casting agents to meet with other actors but she insisted Daniel was the man for the part.
She called the actor personally to tell him he got the part, with Daniel revealing he immediately ‘grabbed a bottle of vodka, vermouth’ and ‘a cocktail shaker’ which resulted in a three-day hangover.
Daniel also recalled how he broke his leg while filming 2015’s Spectre but insisted he carry on with filming, rather than production having to shut down while he recovered.
The star wore a ‘bionic leg’ for much of the shoot with Barbara adding that he could ‘barely walk’.
He said: ‘I didn’t like the newfound level of fame. It was Hugh Jackman who helped me to come to terms with it and appreciate it’ (Hugh Jackman pictured in August 2021)
The difficult experience was what lead to Daniel remarking he would rather ‘slash my wrists’ than play Bond again while promoting the film.
Nevertheless, he was persuaded to return for a final time in No Time To Die, which makes him the longest serving 007 actor in the franchise.
He said: ‘I do not want to go on about how hard Spectre was, but I needed a break. I needed to switch off.
‘I genuinely felt psychologically at the end of that film too old. Barbara drives a hard bargain. I don’t think I was ever going to get away with leaving after Spectre.’
Role: Daniel made a farewell speech to the cast and crew of No Time To Die during filming and added he is proud of his work in the franchise (pictured in No Time To Die with Ana de Armas)
Daniel made a farewell speech to the cast and crew of No Time To Die during filming and added he is proud of his work in the franchise.
He said: ‘My tenure is what it is, but it is only part of something bigger. I look back at the films and am incredibly proud of every one of them. Leaving this role is not easy.
‘I can be as brazen and blasé about it as I like, but it is still tough to walk away from. And it is not about money and fame.
‘I am incredibly fortunate to have been able to do this. But I think it is OK now [to leave the role], and it’s because we did this movie.’
Being James Bond is available to watch now on Apple TV+.
He said: ‘My tenure is what it is, but it is only part of something bigger. I look back at the films and am incredibly proud of every one of them. Leaving this role is not easy’
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