Daniel Craig seems both shaken and stirred about the idea of playing James Bond again.
In an interview with Time Out London, the British star said he couldn’t imagine taking on the role so soon after wrapping his latest 007 film, “Spectre.”
“Now? I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists,” he told the outlet. “No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.”
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Craig didn’t rule out the possibility completely, though. The 47-year-old said he’s simply kept his mind elsewhere as he continues decompressing from “Spectre’s” eight-month shoot.
“I haven’t given it any thought. For at least a year or two, I just don’t want to think about it. I don’t know what the next step is. I’ve no idea,” he said. “Not because I’m trying to be cagey. Who the f*** knows? At the moment, we’ve done it. I’m not in discussion with anybody about anything.”
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Craig added that an offer to put on 007’s tux for a fifth time may require a hefty price tag.
“If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money,” he said.
While the James Bond franchise is known for its elaborate action sequences and other physically demanding attributes, Craig said it’s actually the title character’s dapper aesthetic which requires the majority of his attention and energy.
“It’s a drag,” Craig said of maintaining Bond’s signature swagger. “The best acting is when you’re not concerned about the surface. And Bond is the opposite of that. You have to be bothered about how you’re looking. It’s a struggle. I know that how Bond wears a suit and walks into a room is important. But as an actor I don’t want to give a f**k about what I look like! So I have to play with both things. In a way that works, as that’s Bond: he looks good and he doesn’t give a f**k what you think he looks like!”
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Craig isn’t too concerned about how the series will fare without him. It’s been a decade since he became the first air-haired Bond, but Craig acknowledged that the character’s history long preceded his arrival. When asked if he has any thoughts on who should portray the iconic spy next, the actor said he just hopes he’s left a worthy legacy to take over.
“Look, I don’t give a f***. Good luck to them,” Craig said of his eventual successor. “All I care about is that if I stop doing these things we’ve left it in a good place and people pick it up and make it better.”
He did offer advice to the next 007, whomever it may be, suggesting the actor prioritize work ethic, perspective and gratitude to make the most of the opportunity.
“Don’t be s***. You’ve got to step up. People do not make movies like this anymore. This is really rare now,” he said. “Go for it. Embrace it. Some cliched line like that. But no, just make sure you’re great. You’ve got to push yourself as far as you can. It’s worth it, it’s James Bond.”
When asked if he’d stay involved in the production process, however, Craig balked.
“Oh Christ, no. How f***ing sad would that be?” he said. “‘Oh look, it’s Daniel Craig, he’s on set again!’ No!”
“Spectre” hits theaters on Nov. 6.
— Erin Biglow
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