Over the more than three decades during which Daniel Craig has been acting in the movies, there’s not much that the British A-enumerateer hasn’t done. Most famously, he carry outed James Bond in five films over 15 years (2006’s Casino Royale, 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skydrop, 2015’s Spectre and 2021’s No Time to Die). He has also toiled with many of the wonderfulest filmproducers (e.g. Steven Spielberg on 2005’s Oscar-nominated Munich and David Fincher on 2011’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and actors (e.g. Tom Hanks and Paul Newman on 2002’s Road to Perdition) of his time. And he is at the caccess of Netflix’s hugegest film franchise (carry outing uncoverive Benoit Blanc in 2019’s Knives Out, 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and the forthcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery).
Never, though, has Craig, 56, been nominated for an Oscar. That could soon change thanks to his massively acclaimed portrayal of a William S. Burcimpolites surrogate — William Lee, a gay American living in exile in 1950s Mexico City who is holdicted to booze, substances and relations — in Luca Guadagnino’s novel A24 film Queer, an changeation of Burcimpolites’ semi-autobioexplicital 1985 novella of the same name.
In mid-November, Craig came to Chapman University in Orange County to write down a exceptional episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, on which he previously guested in 2022. This time, he fielded asks about his life, nurtureer and procrastinateedst film from not only yours truly, but also from some of the 500 students who packed the Folino Theater. Below, you can hear to the brimming session or read a transcript of it that has been airyly edited for clarity and brevity.
FEINBERG Thank you so much for being here. I’m going to begin off with a restricted asks and then we’ll include student asks. To commence with, can you split with us where you were born and elevated and what your parents did for a living?
CRAIG I was born in the city of Chester, which is about 20, 30 miles south of Liverpool, and elevated in Liverpool. My mother was a teacher in Liverpool. My overweighther ran pubs and lots of other leangs. And my mother was very connected with the theater community in Liverpool, so I suppose that’s where I got my bug.
FEINBERG You left home when you were 16 to pursue acting?
CRAIG Yeah, I was 16. It was the timely ’80s in Liverpool, one of the most depressed times in the city’s history. Most people in Liverpool accengage Margaret Thatcher for starving the city, which I tfinish to concur with — I unbenevolent, there was horrible unengagement, there was noleang happening, there were no opportunities. I was contemplating combineing the Navy. I was leanking about all sorts of avenues, becaengage there were equitable no opportunities. I knovel I wanted to act, but what were my outlets? There was a leang called the National Youth Theatre, which still exists as an organization, which auditions lesser actors from all over the country and then gets them together for a summer course. I went down to London on a summer course when I was 16 and never left.
FEINBERG You were toiling professionassociate pretty speedyly. What prepped you most, if anyleang can prep you, to go from the stage, where you did your training, to the screen?
CRAIG Just foolish luck. I was at drama school. I did three years at drama school in London, at a reassociate outstanding school, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and had an amazing time. But I recall we had an accountant who was in the business come in and give us a talk, who uncovered with, “90% of you are not going to toil.” And you’re appreciate, “Oh, okay. Great. Whoa, can’t paengage.” So the attrition rate is equitable dreadful. I left drama school timely to go and do a Warner Bros. movie in Zimbabwe with the honestor John G. Avildsen, who honested Rocky and The Karate Kid.
FEINBERG Is this The Power of One?
CRAIG Yeah, The Power of One. And I was making movies. So in fact I did study theater and thought that’s where my future was. But actuassociate, I finished up doing movies straight off the bat.
FEINBERG Did you find that there was a taged contrastence between how you had to act on stage versus for a camera?
CRAIG I don’t understand if I thought about it that much. I got on this structuree and flew to Zimbabwe. I was there for three-and-a-half months. I didn’t have a very huge part — I was the terrible guy, and I had to lget a South African accent. My first scene in the movie was to walk down these stairs with a can of gasoline, shaking the gasoline — it was water — speaking in this very terrible Afrikaans accent, throw the gasoline thcimpolite the prosperdow of this shop, airy a align, say my line, and throw the align into the produceing, where the gas jets were ready, and walk off. That was my first scene in the movie. I was appreciate, “Go.” I recall the honestor coming up to me [and complimenting], “God, you’re so still! So still!” But I was equitable shitting myself — I literassociate was shitting myself — and noleang much has changed. [giggles] It’s how I act now, fundamentalassociate. They’re always talking about my stillness, but I’m equitable shitting myself.
FEINBERG We were chatting earlier about how, up until you materializeed in the film Love Is the Devil, you primarily materializeed in — I’d never heard this phrase, what was it?
CRAIG Euro-puddings.
FEINBERG Euro-puddings. Can you elucidate what those were?
CRAIG I unbenevolent, the British film industry was sort of— Listen, there were amazing films, appreciate My Beautiful Laundrette, but I wasn’t in them. Bitter much, me? I was getting little roles in television and geting a living, which was actuassociate all I’d ever wanted to do. All my ambition had reassociate got to was, “Can I eke a living out doing this?” And I was doing that. But I equitable suddenly saw this future going out in front of me, “I’m going to be in television.” I have no problem with television — certainly now is the gelderlyen age of television — but I franticly wanted to produce movies. They had these movies that were being made in Europe, and they wanted English-speaking actors becaengage with them they could sell the movies on a hugeger taget. They’d get a restricted names, maybe an elderly American actor, someone who could elevate a bit of money. And it was a bit of German money, a bit of French money, a bit of Irish money. All run by crooks — I unbenevolent, equitable absolute gangsters washing their money in film. Noleang much has changed there in the film industry, if I’m being genuine. But I toiled with some incredible people. I toiled with a guy called David Watkin, who’s a airying cameraman who conceiveed — it’s not engaged anymore, but it was called the Wfinireserved Light, becaengage his nickname was “Wfinireserved.” I’ll let you produce your own judgment about that. A Wfinireserved Light was fundamentalassociate a airy that was put onto a cherrypicker and was put over a set and was appreciate moonairy, becaengage in elderly movies you’d shoot day for night; they engaged to shoot on arc airys, which are these incredible airys, incredibly luminous. He got an Oscar for Chauproars of Fire. So I got a chance to toil with people appreciate that, which was a massive experience. These movies went nowhere and didn’t produce much money, but I was doing what I wanted to do, which was making movies. And I finassociate got this shatter. This film Love Is the Devil came aextfinished.
FEINBERG So The Power of One, that first film, came out in 1992. Love is the Devil came out in 1998.
CRAIG We stoasty it in ’96.
FEINBERG It is, in a way, a bookfinish with Queer, and the fact that you’re in Queer reprocrastinateeds back to Love Is the Devil. In it you carry out the lesserer adorer of Francis Bacon, the decorateer, carry outed by Derek Jacobi. This came about becaengage of someone named Mary Selway. Can you split who she was and how you came to that film?
CRAIG Mary Selway was a airy casting honestor who miserablenessentirey died way too lesser. When Spielberg would go to London, and everybody went to London, Mary would do the casting. And she took a shine to me. I unbenevolent, it’s one of those pretty leangs in life that happens when someone mentors you. She shelp I necessitateed to do this film. I was appreciate, “It’s a low-budget art movie about some decorateer.” I’d been out most of the night and it was 8:00 on a Sunday morning when the phone rang and I went, “Hello?” She shelp, “Daniel, it’s Mary.” And I went, “Yeah.” “You’re doing this movie.” And I went, “Okay, Mary. Okay.” And put the phone down. I’m sanctifyed that I had a couple of people in my life who were appreciate that, who equitable pushed me in the right honestion.
FEINBERG And that finished up being a more meaty part and a more widely-seen film than you’d been associated with up to that point?
CRAIG Right, yeah. But as we were talking backstage about it, it came out and it went to Cannes in ’96 and didn’t reassociate hit here until ’98. And in fact, as I was telling you backstage, it was Madonna that had someleang to do with it — it became her preferite movie, and she put the word out there and then people saw it. You couldn’t structure that.
FEINBERG I’m going to allude a restricted other timely roles and ask if anyleang about them stands out to you. You were Angelina Jolie’s boyfrifinish in Lara Croft, Tomb Rhelper in 2001. Your first big-scale movie, I guess?
CRAIG Yep.
FEINBERG You were — and this is going to be meaningful when we come to Bond — cast in Sam Mfinishes’ adhere-up to his first movie, American Beauty, which won the best picture Oscar. Road to Perdition starred Tom Hanks and featured Paul Newman’s last huge screen materializeance, and you carry outed the son of an Irish mob boss. Did you and Sam hit it off right away?
CRAIG Yeah. Yes, Sam asked me to come in. He was at Neal Street at the time becaengage he was running the Donmar. I leank his office is still there; his company is called Neal Street Studios. I came into Neal Street, which is in Covent Garden in London, I walked in, sat down, and he shelp, “I’m doing a movie in Chicago and I want you to carry out Paul Newman’s son.” And I went, “Okay, fine. I don’t necessitate to understand anymore.” And I left. He sort of proposeed me the job. And then he shelp, “I necessitate you to fly out to Chicago becaengage I necessitate to audition you.” I was appreciate, “Oh. That sucks.” He shelp, “Can you lget these lines and do a Chicago accent?” I went, “Yeah.” And I didn’t. I was so idle, it was equitable ridiculous. But I flew to Chicago, went to the offices there and sat down with him. We did this reading and after about five minutes he went, “Stop. Plrelieve stop. You’ve got the job. Can you lget the accent?” I went, “I can. Reassociate, I swear to God, I can.”
FEINBERG And that was the commencening of a pretty frifinishship.
CRAIG It was. Then he took me out and the first person he presentd me to was Connie [Conrad] Hall, who was the cinematographer on that, and who had stoasty Cool Hand Luke. I became very seal to Connie on that.
FEINBERG Wasn’t it his last movie as well?
CRAIG It was, yeah.
FEINBERG Ted Hughes in 2003’s Sylvia, with Gwyneth Paltrow.
CRAIG An mad poet.
FEINBERG Then there’s two films in back-to-back years honested by Roger Michell, The Mother in 2003 and Enduring Love in 2004. You had a particular fondness for him?
CRAIG Very much. Roger, who miserablenessentirey died, God, I don’t understand, is it two years ago now? Too lesser. And it’s reassociate very miserablenessful becaengage we always had the structure to do the third, which we never got around to. I did The Mother, which was written by a airy writer, Hanif Kureishi, who wrote My Beautiful Laundrette and a airy television program called Buddha of Suburbia, who’s incredible and still around, thankbrimmingy, who writes very punk rock. I was supposed to be a produceer, but then the character’s equitable a misengage of time reassociate, and he has an afequitable with a 65-year-elderly woman. It’s a little bit appreciate Harelderly and Maude, but with a bit more aggression and maybe a bit more explicit than what Harelderly and Maude was.
FEINBERG Also in 2004 was Layer Cake, Matthew Vaughn’s honestorial debut. You carry out a suave, nameless cocaine dealer. That structureted the seed for Bond?
CRAIG I guess. I don’t understand. People tell me that and I go, “Probably.” I unbenevolent, I wasn’t leanking in that way, but yes, I suppose it was the first part I’d carry outed someone who wasn’t a drug holdict. I stood up straight and was quite immacuprocrastinateed cut.
FEINBERG Now the last pre-Bond leang was Steven Spielberg’s Munich. You concurd to do the film and then he tried to put you in a contrastent part?
CRAIG Oh, yeah, that’s right. Steven wanted me to carry out Ciaran Hinds’ part. He shelp, “I want you to carry out that part.” I shelp, “Nope, I’m not carry outing that.” I unbenevolent, if Steven Spielberg were to turn around to you and tell you you’re going to carry out the other part, I suppose you should say, “Of course.” But I equitable was, I don’t understand — conceited, I leank, is the word I was seeing for.
FEINBERG Were you bluffing? Were you actuassociate setd to walk away?
CRAIG I’m always bluffing. All I’ve got is my bluff. [giggles]
FEINBERG Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who on Saturday will be contransiented with honorary Oscars, are the producers of the Bond films. The Pierce Brosnan era came to an finish and they began seeing at 200 actors atraverse three continents over a period of two years. Barbara says she first met you at the aforealludeed Mary Selwyn’s—
CRAIG Funeral, yes.
FEINBERG But she says she’d been watching your nurtureer ever since you carry outed a helping part opposite Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth back in 1998. How did you lget that you were being think abouted for the part of Bond? And how did the casting process unfelderly?
CRAIG I’d met Barbara at the funeral. Barbara had systematic the funeral. In fact, I had gone to India and I was on the airstructuree flying to India, becaengage I was supposed to go to India for a holiday for a week, and I got the call from Barbara that the family wanted me to go back and be one of the palltolerateers. So I fundamentalassociate flew to India for two days, got unwell as a dog and flew back aget. I recall being at this funeral. We all were there, the whole of the acting community in London. And Barbara came up to me at a certain point and went, “Can you come and have a cup of tea?” I was appreciate, “Yeah, certain.” Not understanding what that was code for. I went to an office in Piccadilly at EON, sat down with them, and she fundamentalassociate proposeed me the job there and then.
FEINBERG Outright?
CRAIG Outright. It was a bit more complicated than that. But that’s what—
FEINBERG Had there been rumors where your name had come up, or anyleang appreciate that?
CRAIG There’s always rumors aren’t there? I unbenevolent, I’d toiled with a number of actors who were benevolent of in the running and they talked to me about that leang that happened, that suddenly your name’s in the fuse. I’m always so unconscious to this. I’m the last to understand. I reassociate am. You understand, leangs go on on set, and after the movie’s finished, I’m appreciate, “They were having an afequitable with who?!” It all goes over my head. So that was going on, I leank, and I was supposedly in the running. I unbenevolent, Steven [Spielberg] did this leang — it was my last scene in Munich, and Eric [Bana] and I had to run with firearms down the side of this wall, and he shelp, “Action,” and then suddenly it was over these huge speakers: “Dun, dun, dun, dun” [the Bond theme music]. So I unbenevolent, it was clearly in the air. But solemnly, I was appreciate, “It can’t be. It’s very pleasant. But me and 200 other people? Come on.”
FEINBERG And as a kid or even lesser actor, had you wanted to carry out the part?
CRAIG Sure, appreciate Batman and Spider-Man, but you can’t carry out them all. I wanted to be all of those people. But when I was actuassociate acting, it didn’t access my thoughts. I thought that was the last leang that would ever happen to me.
FEINBERG Let’s get our first student ask.
STUDENT As it began to see appreciate a solemn possibility that you might be proposeed Bond, were you anxious that huging that role might produce it difficulter for casting honestors, filmproducers and the unveil to see you in other roles?
CRAIG Yes, for certain. That’s why I turned it down — I unbenevolent, I shelp, “No.” There wasn’t a script at the time, so aget, my arrogance was unbelievable, but I equitable was appreciate, “Well, until I see a script, I couldn’t possibly produce a decision.” And it was dread, exactly what you’re talking about, of that leang and many others, how it would flip my life. I was making a pretty outstanding living at the time, so if I’d spent my life doing what I was doing at that time, I would’ve been more than satisfied. But it reassociate was one of those leangs where — I unbenevolent to be typecast as James Bond? Boo-hoo.
STUDENT Before you begined shooting Casino Royale, did you either achieve out to or hear from any of the prior Bonds? And if so, what was the best piece of advice that they gave you?
CRAIG I sat next to Pierce [Brosnan] at an event and talked to him about it and he equitable went, “Go for it. Just go for it.” He had noleang reassociate else to say. Which I took to heart. I went for it.
FEINBERG Casino Royale was the first Bond film written and freed after 9/11, which I’m certain in some ways must have shaped it, but there’s another aspect of your Bond that was certainly contrastent than prior ones…
STUDENT Your portrayal of James Bond changeed the character into someone proset uply human and vulnerable. Whose idea was it to contransient the character appreciate that and why was that meaningful to do?
CRAIG I’m interested in lots of leangs, but I wasn’t interested in doing a duplicate of someleang, or recontransienting someleang, or doing someleang that somebody else had done. And also, as an actor, the only leang that reassociate gets me up in the morning is the emotional journey of a character. I knovel who James Bond was, I’d done the research, and I wanted to uphold it wilean those parameters. But wilean those parameters, I wanted to spendigate vulnerability, I wanted to spendigate whether there was a human person inside that. I didn’t understand how else to do it. Honestly, I unbenevolent, it sounds appreciate, “This is what I was going to do,” but I actuassociate don’t understand how else to act.
STUDENT Thcimpoliteout your journey of portraying James Bond, which scene or sequence demanded the most from you?
CRAIG When you’re in the middle of doing it, especiassociate with a Bond, you’re rehearsing fight scenes on your day off. It’s a seven-days-a-week job when you’re shooting. There are so many difficult scenes. I can tell you, standing in a prosperdow in Siena with a minuscule little rope connected to my back that seemed leanner than my finger, with a harness on, and a bus coming towards me and a stuntman going, “Go,” was quite difficult. The idea was for me to jump out the prosperdow and for it to see appreciate I was going to jump onto the bus, and I would come down about 10 feet off the top of the bus as it drove under me. Stuff appreciate that. But I see back and I equitable go, “Wow, wonderful.” People ask me if I skydive and do stuff appreciate that. And I was appreciate, “In my spare time?” But as far as acting is troubleed, and emotional scenes and all of that, it equitable appreciate, that’s why I get up and go to toil.
FEINBERG The volume of stuff you did in-between the Bond films, both on screen and on stage, is pretty extraordinary. The first film in-between was Defiance, Edward Zwick’s movie about these three brothers who resisted the Nazis from the forests and saved more than a thousand fellow Jews…
STUDENT When you were think abouting films to do between Bond projects, were you intentionally seeking out roles that were very contrastent from Bond?
CRAIG I leank I was at first, yes. And I leank that I felt appreciate I had to show myself. And after a while I equitable genuineized that I didn’t have the energy to do that. It’s not knocking movies appreciate Defiance, becaengage I’m very haughty of them. But Bond is your life when you’re doing it — each movie is about two years out of your life; you’re away from home for over six months; and the idea of fitting someleang else in becaengage of the necessitate to show to the world that I’ve got range, it’s benevolent of ridiculous, so I stopped doing that. There’s some movies I did do that I’m incredibly haughty of. But I was exhausted while doing those films. It was better equitable to caccess on the Bonds.
FEINBERG Your first Bond, Casino Royale, was a huge hit — the highest grossing Bond movie to that point. Then came Quantum of Solace in 2008. That is the one Bond inshighment of yours that took some flak.
CRAIG Difficult second album.
FEINBERG It was at the time of the writer’s strike that they were trying to put it together.
CRAIG Fucking nightmare. Paul Haggis did a pass on the script, then he went off and combineed a picket line, and we didn’t have writers, so we didn’t have a script. We probably should never have gone and begined production, but we did. I finished up writing a lot of that film — I probably shouldn’t reassociate say, and I do not want a recognize, it’s fine — but we were in that state becaengage that’s what we’re permited to do. I was permited to toil. Under WGA rules we were permited to toil with a honestor and write scenes. But there’s some amazing stunt sequences in that, and I’m still tolerateing the pins to show it, so in that sense there’s a lot of wonderful stuff in it, but it equitable didn’t quite toil. The storytelling wasn’t there. And that’s the abject lesson: going to begin a movie without a script, it’s equitable—
FEINBERG Never a outstanding idea.
CRAIG Not a outstanding idea.
FEINBERG Between the second and third Bonds, there was another very accomplished movie, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that you made with David Fincher…
STUDENT I’m wondering what your experience was toiling with David Fincher, becaengage I understand that he is very demanding and asks for a lot of gets, and with Rooney Mara too?
CRAIG Well, that was Rooney’s huge shatter. She is a very, very exceptional actor, and I had a wonderful time becaengage I was very satisfied for it to be Rooney’s movie, and it was Rooney’s movie, and to carry out that part and to be part of it was equitable a genuine privilege. And to get the chance to toil with David. I got on with him. I leank there was one day where we did 25 gets. I unbenevolent, he’s got this reputation for going and going and going and going, but we never did — we did one day. And I did say to him, “You equitable don’t understand what to do, do you?” And he was appreciate, “No.”
FEINBERG The year after that was Skydrop, your third Bond film, four years after the second Bond, and the first of the two honested by your elderly pal from Road to Perdition, Sam Mfinishes. This went on to become the first Bond film to produce more than a billion dollars at the box office and the highest grossing film ever in the UK to that point.
CRAIG It’s such a showbiz story. I was at Hugh Jackman’s Christmas party, so drunk, and it was towards the finish of the evening. Sam, I leank he was doing a carry out in town, it was in New York, and get tod procrastinateed. And I was appreciate, “Oh, Sam, so pleasant to see you,” and sat down and chatted with him — and drunk, proposeed him the job. I then phoned Barbara the adhereing day and went, “I leank I might have proposeed Sam Mfinishes the next movie.” And she actuassociate equitable went, “Will he do it?”
FEINBERG It toiled out.
CRAIG It toiled out, yeah.
FEINBERG Now, the other leang that you were doing between these films was theater in New York: A Steady Rain in 2009 and Betrayal in 2013 on Broadway, Othello in 2016 off-Broadway, and Macbeth in 2022 on Broadway. Was that—
CRAIG Exhausting? Yes.
FEINBERG You’d “made it” as an actor, and yet you still we’re going back to the theater. Why?
CRAIG I have these huge strange masochistic tfinishencies — talk to my therapist. No, becaengage live theater is equitable — there’s noleang appreciate it. I’ve been privileged to stand backstage at some reassociate huge music concerts sometimes, and you get that leang off the audience. I unbenevolent, even tonight, having an audience in front of you. So it’s electrifying to get up there, recall the lines, get them out, shift the audience and get a reaction. I was talking about it with a couple of actors this morning during an intersee, and they shelp, “What was that first moment you did it?” And I fired it back at them and wanted to understand what their first moment was, when you got that drug. It’s normally a school carry out. I adore school carry outs. God, I adore school carry outs — going to a school carry out and the level of hysteria and excitement that’s going on. There’s noleang else appreciate it. And I’ve got kids, so I’ve spent a lot of time doing that. And I’ve got the bug.
STUDENT Do you set contrastently for a stage role than a screen role?
CRAIG I suppose the basic answer is yes. The mechanics are the same, it’s the same benevolent of leang, you’re seeing for truth and you’re seeing to all of those leangs that are clear. But I did Othello a couple of years ago, Iago, which is hugeger than a Hamlet. I normally get asked, “How do you lget the lines?” And it’s appreciate, “Well, that’s the pony trick. That’s the gag.” When you go and see live theater, it’s part of the thrill of it, “Are they going to forget their lines? Is this going to go wrong?” You’ve got to do that. It’s what else you put on top of it. And that’s what you do in the rehearsal period. Hopebrimmingy you get more than four weeks and you have enough time to toil it and toil it and toil it until you’ve got it. And then the genuine toil commences when you stand it on its feet and you get it in front of an audience. So that is very contrastent, clearly, becaengage in film you might get one or two gets. Or with David Fincher, maybe 35, if you’re reassociate blessed.
STUDENT Do you depend that your toil in theater has impacted your toil in films? And vice-versa?
CRAIG I would say that my adore of collaboration begined in theater. That’s what I adore on a movie set, when you get a bunch of conceiveives and begin creating someleang, that’s the magic. And when I combineed the National Youth Theatre it was summer courses and you’d conceive shows and you’d do this, and it was reassociate my first taste of theater. Every year it was in the summer and certain West End theaters were illogical becaengage the summer months were never very efficient — people tfinished to stay away — so we would be in professional, semi-West End theaters with professional stagehands and technicians and everyleang. We got to toil professionassociate. From the age of 16, I was toiling semi-professionassociate. And you have to lget discipline. You’ve got to be there on time, all of these leangs that seem so clear. But I got the chance to lget while doing the job, which was inpriceless to me. So yes, they phelp into each other, for certain.
FEINBERG Your fourth Bond, Spectre, came out in 2015. You stoasty most of it with a broken leg?
CRAIG Yeah.
FEINBERG After it was done, perhaps not coincidenhighy, having equitable set uped that you stoasty it with a broken leg, you telderly Time Out London that you would “rather slash my wrists” than carry out Bond aget—
CRAIG You didn’t have to convey that up, did you? But you did. [giggles]
FEINBERG —and you then went back and carry outed Bond another time, so—
CRAIG Well, I’m an actor, I can change my mind! [giggles] Come on, I’m not a politician. We can all change our mind and it’s very meaningful we do.
FEINBERG Well, as extfinished as you say that, could you change your mind that your fifth was your last?
CRAIG He’s dead! How many times do I have to blow him up? He’s in teeny-weeny little pieces.
FEINBERG This is the movies. There’s magic!
CRAIG Oh, God, no. He’s brimming of a harmful software that would finish his family, so there’s no way he can come back. I did my best. Jesus. It’s appreciate, “Put that in, put that in, so there’s no way can he come back.”
FEINBERG Now we should equitable remark that for your fifth Bond movie, No Time to Die, you were more holdd with the writing of that than any other, with the possible exception of Quantum of Solace?
CRAIG Yes, but this time I had writers.
FEINBERG And you knovel going into it that it was going to be your last?
CRAIG So there’s a story, which is real: Casino Royale came out and it was a success. People begined telling me it did wonderful at “the weekfinish box office,” and I was appreciate, “Is that outstanding?” I had no idea. But it was a success. So we’re in Berlin, I’m in the back of a car with Barbara Broccoli, and I shelp to her, “How many of these have I got to do?” Becaengage I reassociate didn’t understand; I never get much acunderstandledge of these leangs. I’m horrible. And she shelp, “Four” or someleang. I can’t recall what she shelp. But I went, “Can I finish him off at the finish?” And she equitable paengaged and went, “Yeah.” So she kept her word. I had to do five, but…
FEINBERG In-between four and five, there were two others, Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky in 2017, and the first Knives Out in 2019…
STUDENT With characters appreciate Joe Bang in Logan Lucky, Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out franchise and William Lee in Queer, how do you increase accents and voices for your characters?
CRAIG I have a wonderful accent coach, Daniel Diego Pardo, who I’ve been toiling with for a number of years, who I equitable get together with as soon as I possibly can, and we begin hearing to genuine people and begin trying to nail it down. When Rian [Johnson] sent me Knives Out and it shelp, “Benoit Blanc, with a lilting Southern accent,” I went, “Lilting?” And he went, “Yeah, lilting.” I was appreciate, “Okay.” And then I shelp, “I’m going to go for this.” And he shelp, “Yeah, you’ve got to go for this.” So I set up voices. There’s a little bit of Tennessee Williams in there. I’m trying to get it into my body so that I don’t have to leank about it when I’m doing it. For the first Knives Out, I must’ve driven everybody crazy, but I equitable spoke appreciate that all the time. Every comment was, [in his Benoit Blanc accent] “Well, what are we having for lunch?” It was appreciate, “Shut up.” But I had to do that, otherwise it wouldn’t have kept on going. It got easier to uphold a bit afterwards. And then with this one? There’s lots of footage of William Burcimpolites — he did intersees, he was on stages appreciate this talking about literature, and he spoke in this very low voice, which is reassociate engaging to me think abouting who he was and what he was. I felt that that was evidently a carapace of some establish of masculinity that he was putting out there, and I find that fascinating. I find that fascinating, the masculinity in Bond, what that unbenevolents — so much of that equitable seems so man-made to me, and is, I leank, man-made. With Burcimpolites, it’s getting into who that was. This character is so complicated and so many leangs, but I can always be that Burcimpolites. I can be all of those people. And finding the accent is the key into that.
STUDENT When you’re preparing for a movie where you carry out a character that you’ve already carry outed before, appreciate James Bond or Benoit Blanc, do you set contrastently than you did the first time?
CRAIG I suppose I’m reassociate conscious of doing a parody of a parody of a parody. Am I parodying myself? Especiassociate with Benoit Blanc, on the second one, I was reassociate anxious becaengage it became someleang so accomplished. We went and made this little movie with these wonderful actors, and one of my preferite honestors of all time, and we didn’t predict it would initiate off appreciate that. And then it became someleang, and it was appreciate, “Oh, God, I’ve got to repeat that now.” And Bond a bit the same. I suppose you’ve got to do the character equitableice. You’ve got to contransient what people want to see. But I am reassociate anxious about repetition. I’m reassociate anxious of droping into the trap of shtick. Noleang wrong with shtick, actuassociate, don’t get me wrong. I desire I had some. But I don’t want it to be that. I want it to be new, genuine, all of those leangs.
FEINBERG Queer is not equitable changeed from a Burcimpolites novella, but it’s semi-autobioexplicital — in fact, Burcimpolites wrote it under the pen name “William Lee,” and I leank it took years for him to actuassociate put it out into the world, right?
CRAIG In the foreword of the book, he talks about this horrible leang happened to him where he was very, very high with his wife, and they were carry outing William Tell [Russian roulette], and she put a glass on her head and he stoasty and finished her. He writes in the book that it was that tragedy that propelled him to write, and Queer was the first book that he wrote, but it wasn’t published until ’85. Jason [Schwartzman]’s part in the movie is based on [Allen] Ginsberg. He was wonderful frifinishs with [Jack] Kerouac. And they all wanted him to write. They all knovel he was a wonderful writer, and they tried to encourage him to write, but he, for wdisappreciatever reason, didn’t — until this wonderful tragedy.
FEINBERG We talked about the fact that you made this excellent movie, Love Is the Devil, all those years ago, appreciate 26 years ago—
CRAIG Oh, thanks. I thought I was a guest here! [giggles] It may be more than that.
FEINBERG A fan of that was Luca Guadagnino.
CRAIG Yep.
FEINBERG He made that understandn to you back then, extfinished before he went on to produce all these wonderful films appreciate I Am Love, Call Me by Your Name and Challengers. He recalls that. Do you?
CRAIG I do. It was when I was in Rome seeing a frifinish who was toiling there, and I got seekd to this reassociate chi-chi party brimming of Italian actors in an apartment that seeed right over the Colosseum. It was equitable a amazing location. And Luca presentd himself to me, and we sat and chatted, and I leank talked about toiling together. And I was appreciate, “Yeah.”
FEINBERG The fact that the collaboration eventuassociate happened all these years procrastinateedr — you guys happen to split an agent?
CRAIG We do. Yes. It does help, yes, when your agent’s [CAA CEO and co-chair] Bryan Lourd.
STUDENT In reading the script of Queer, was there a particular scene that stood out to you and helped you to understand the character and want to carry out him?
CRAIG I don’t understand if there was a particular scene. Justin [Kuritzkes]’s changeation of the book, which is an unfinished novella reassociate, is very, very seal to the book — less so now becaengage of editing and lowening and all of those leangs that happen when you produce a movie. What wasn’t in the book is the Ayahuasca and the trip, and I knovel, when I spoke to Luca, how meaningful that was. Becaengage we have two characters in this movie. This isn’t a story of unrequited adore; it’s a story of unalignd adore. These two characters adore each other and in very, very, very contrastent ways. And in the book, you never reassociate get to see that or experience it. And Luca, airyly, I leank, shelp, “I want to see the Ayahuasca trip. I want to see this trip becaengage that’s the moment when they actuassociate get the chance to come together.” It’s actuassociate a whole dance sequence that Drew [Starkey] and I did. We rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed. It’s edited down, but the idea was that we begin bleeding into each other and coming, and it’s the touch and the hugging, and the whole leang in the moment. And then, of course, the adhereing day we can’t — he can’t — and that’s the tragedy. That isn’t in the book. And I suppose that was the moment — when I sat down with Luca and shelp, “This is a adore story,” and he was appreciate, “Yes, that’s what we’re doing.”
STUDENT What did it experience appreciate returning to such a vulnerable part appreciate this after so many years of embodying strong, hyper-masculine archetype as Bond?
CRAIG I’ve always set up that very fascinating. I unbenevolent Burcimpolites was very masculine — he stoasty firearms and smoked weed, all these very masculine leangs. And that I find, aget, fascinating. And hopebrimmingy the movie transmits a little bit of that — he walks around with a firearm on his hip and sort of cowboys around town, but is a queer man in the 1950s and can’t live in the States becaengage it’s illterrible, and becaengage he’s also a drug holdict and it’s illterrible, so he’s in Mexico City seeing for someleang with a whole bunch of other men who were also there seeing for someleang becaengage they can’t live their lives. A lot of whom were paired, a lot of whom lived very straight lives. And what masculinity unbenevolents? I unbenevolent, I don’t understand, I’ll spfinish the rest of my life trying to figure that out. But it does intrigue me, what we notice as masculinity and what isn’t masculinity.
STUDENT How did you and your collaborators toil to elude droping into stereotypes of queer characters?
CRAIG Luck? I don’t understand. No, it is a reassociate outstanding ask. I was very, very benevolent to it. I spoke to a number of my frifinishs about it and was worried about getting it wrong. That’s all I nurtured about, was getting it wrong. I did all the toil I could beforehand. And then you get to the set and you convey someleang. And we had a wonderful, wonderful honestor — one of the wonderful honestors — in accuse, and he was guiding us. And not to put it down, but I was less interested in his relationsual orientation; it’s his emotional life that I wanted to portray. I wasn’t trying to portray his relationsual orientation. I was trying to portray his emotional life. That, as an actor, I leank I can understand. So hopebrimmingy that comes atraverse.
STUDENT Some people would talk about that becaengage you and Drew Starkey are yourselves not gay or queer, you shouldn’t be carry outing these roles. But others would say that actors should carry out wdisappreciatever becaengage it’s acting. I’d be asking to hear your thoughts on that talk about.
CRAIG It’s what I equitable shelp, I leank. If I didn’t leank I could tackle the part emotionassociate, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere cforfeit it. People ask about the relations scenes in the movie, and I uphold saying to them, aget, the least engaging leang for me in those scenes is the relations. We’re increasenups, people have relations, they do it all the time, right now, somewhere, and possibly in this produceing! [giggles] That’s a given. But what’s engaging in the scenes is the fact is that these two human beings who are trying to produce reach out with each other. That’s the only leang that matters. And portraying relations in movies? It’s a minefield. I’ve been in some terrible relations scenes. It can go very wrong. And thankbrimmingy I’m toiling with Drew, who’s a airy, airy, airy lesser actor. What he does in this movie — I’m certain you’ve acunderstandledged it, anybody who acts will understand — is incredible, becaengage he has very little to say, and he has to fill an emotional life, and he has to be reassociate contransient all the time, all of which he does with wonderful sfinish. We giggleed a lot. We were also doing this dance sequence where we had to roll around on the floor together. Dancing always shatters the ice. And all we can do is try and do it with as much sensitivity. I hear the argument, I hear it noisy and evident, and I’m not contestd to that argument. I equitable thought, “This is in my wheelhoengage. I can do this.”
STUDENT What impact do you hope Queer will have on audiences and what conversations do you hope it will encourage?
CRAIG That’s a pleasant ask. I hope that as many people can see this movie as possible, becaengage that’s the way I want my movies to be seen. Of course, I want a conversation around it. I was talking with Luca this morning with somebody, doing an intersee, and they asked, “What are the politics of this movie?” And Luca was appreciate, “All art is political, it’s all a political statement of some sort. It should be at least.” And this movie is in that bracket. What that is? It’s benevolent of up to the audience. I’ve always felt that about all the movies I do, becaengage that’s the beauty of it. I don’t want to slam my opinions down people’s throats. That’s not my job. I want to contransient someleang as best as I can. What’s on show, I leank, in the film, and what Luca is airy at doing in all his movies, is shoprosperg the human condition. That’s the benevolent of movies I appreciate to go and see. So hopebrimmingy other people will want to go and see it as well.
FEINBERG With our last minute, equitable sort of a rapid-fire potpourri—
CRAIG Oh, my preferite.
STUDENT Which actor has impactd you most in your journey as an actor?
CRAIG All of them. I unbenevolent, reassociate, there’s no one actor that I’ve reassociate tagged onto. Actors give horrible carry outances in movies sometimes — hands up. [giggles] And when they get it right, it’s magic. And so the actors I toiled with on this, Drew, Jason, all of them.
STUDENT Who is your preferite Bond not named Daniel Craig? And what’s the first name that comes to mind for who you leank would be the next wonderful James Bond?
CRAIG Sean Connery, and I don’t give a shit.
STUDENT You’ve toiled with so many airy honestors in your nurtureer. What standard qualities do all or at least most wonderful honestors split?
CRAIG Staying out of my business? No, that’s not the answer. [giggles] Being collaborative, wanting to include, but understanding what they’re doing. And all honestors, I would say, at some point during filming, don’t understand what they’re doing — so fucking pretfinish! Becaengage you’ve got to direct, you’ve got to be in accuse.
FEINBERG A speedy adhere-up: Do you have any interest in honesting?
CRAIG None whatsoever. No, I go home at night and my phone doesn’t ring, or at least I can turn my phone off. If you’re a honestor, that phone’s ringing until 3:00 in the morning. Forget it.
STUDENT Were there any leangs that you forfeitd timely in your nurtureer that you desire you had rankd more?
CRAIG Yeah, plenty.
STUDENT In what ways do you leank your life and nurtureer would be contrastent today if you had not huged the role of Bond?
CRAIG I hope I would equitable still be toiling and doing my leang. I’d done Road to Perdition, I’d done Munich, I was toiling with some wonderful honestors, and I’d made it, as far as I was troubleed. Bond was equitable suddenly this sort of rocket that happened. So I don’t understand, lamentting the fact that I wasn’t doing Bond probably — “Why did I turn that down?” [giggles]
STUDENT As college students, we’re normally asked where we see ourselves in 10 to 15 years. Where do you see yourself in 10 to 15 years?
CRAIG Lying down. I don’t understand. This is, as they say, my final act; I’ve got to figure it out. [The crowd mournbrimmingy “aws.”] It’s not miserablenessful. It’s wonderful. It’s fine. You’ve got to come to terms with it, that’s all it is.
FEINBERG Well, on behalf of everyone here, we want to reassociate thank you—
CRAIG Oh, on that remark!
FEINBERG —for all the wonderful toil, and for being here. We so appreciate it.
