Daniel Craig has explained why he couldn’t have starred in his new film Strange if he still played James Bond. Craig directs director Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of the groundbreaking novella by William S. Burroughs.

Craig recently spoke to the Sunday Times about why he had to close his chapter with 007 before he could think about acting QueR’s restless traveler on the run in Mexico. “I couldn’t have done that during that time binding” he told the publication. “It would look reactionary, like I was showing off my range.” Craig added that while playing Bond, he learned that he had to come to terms with the all-encompassing nature of the franchise. “Come early binding“I thought I had to do other work, but I didn’t,” he remembers. “I was on my way to becoming a star, whatever that means, and people wanted me in their films. Incredible. Most actors are unemployed for large stretches, so take your job offers – but they left me empty. The bottom line is that I got paid.”

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Craig later explained why the action-heavy production style made it difficult for him to fully commit to other projects during his years playing 007. “I was so exhausted at the end of a bond that it took me six months to recover emotionally. I always had the attitude that life has to come first, and when work came first for a while, it annoyed me.” The actor argued that he would not have wanted to do such a project either Strange in these years because of the shadow binding would throw.

“It’s just not a conversation I wanted,” he said. “I had it with Bond the whole time anyway.” Could this Bond exist? This Bond? So is there anything that could fuel this conversation? No – life is too short.”

Strange is the latest collaboration between director Luca Guadagnino and challenger Written by Justin Kuritzkes and based on the 1985 novella by influential Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs, the film casts Craig as a thinly-veiled replacement for Burroughs, called Lee, who flees to Mexico after a drug raid in New Orleans. Lee’s attempts to hide become complicated when he becomes attracted to a discharged American Navy soldier (Outer Banks star Drew Starkey) on vacation in Mexico City. Strange earned a Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, while Craig won a National Board of Review Award for Best Actor.

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Craig thought about it openly binding Era in promotion StrangeAmong other things, he admitted that he had turned down the original offer to play 007. “There was no script back then, so again, my arrogance was unbelievable, but I just thought, ‘Well, until I see a script, I could do it.'” “There’s no way I’m going to make a decision,” he recalled THR. Of course, Craig would eventually change his mind and take on the role of James Bond in five films over the next 15 years.

“Queer” isn’t the first portrayal of William S. Burroughs on screen

Characters inspired by Burroughs have appeared in several films

Craig’s 007 era had some notable hurdles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the release of his final outing No time to die. The actor also told us THR this production on 2008 A quantum of comfort was a “fucking nightmare” because of the WGA writers’ strike at the time. “We probably never should have started production, but we did,” Craig recalls. “Ultimately, I wrote a lot of this film – I probably shouldn’t really say that, and I don’t want to be credited, that’s fine – but we were in that state because it’s what we’re allowed to do. I was allowed to work.”

Daniel Craig plays a cult literary figure in the queer role

• William S. Burroughs remains one of the most revered authors of the Beat Generation and is considered a key figure in the postmodern literary movement.

• Burroughs’ success came relatively late, at age 39, with the publication of his highly confessional novel junkie in 1953.

• Burroughs’ work has been considered an influence on a variety of cultural icons, including Kurt Cobain, Alan Moore, David Bowie and Michael Moorcock.

Strange is available now in limited edition and will be released more widely on Friday (December 13).

Source: The Sunday Times

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James Bond

The focus of the James Bond series is the eponymous British Secret Service agent with the code name 007.

Created by

Ian Fleming

First film

Dr. No

Latest film

No time to die

Pour

Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore, David Niven, George Lazenby

Character(s)

James Bond