Daniel Craig reveals why he almost quit playing James Bond after 2015's Spectre. Craig's fifth and final outing as the MI6 agent, No Time To Die, has already premiered in the UK but has yet to release in the US. The film from director Cary Joji Fukunaga has earned mostly positive reviews from critics thus far and promises to be an action-packed, emotionally-stirring last hurrah for Craig's Bond.
No Time To Die follows Bond as, after having retired from active duty, he is pulled once more into the fray to combat a bioterrorist by the name of Safin, who possesses a dangerous new technology. Sam Mendes, who directed both the critically acclaimed Skyfall and the more disappointing Spectre, does not return for the new film, with Fukunaga becoming the first American to helm an Eon Productions Bond movie. While it appeared that Craig was done with the character after Spectre, famously joking that he'd rather slash his wrists than return for another film, he eventually agreed to do one more to send the character off on a high note.
It wasn't entirely clear at the time why Craig was so adamant about not returning for another Bond film, but, in a recent article from USA Today, the English actor clears up why he felt the way he did. He reveals that, after Spectre, it became clear to him that he was too old for the part. After having fully committed himself to the physicality of the character in his debut outing, Casino Royale, and subsequent entries, several on-set injuries sustained during Spectre caused him to rethink his commitment to these demanding films. Not only that, Craig says, but the time away from his family was taking its toll as well:
"I've always tried to be honest about my feelings. When I started doing Bond, I threw myself into it and was as physical as I possibly could be. I felt like that was really important – that's who I wanted my Bond to be. I wanted people to believe it was me doing those stunts. However, after Spectre, I genuinely felt like I couldn't do that anymore. I felt like, 'What was the point?' Also, it's at least a year out of my life away from home. And that is really tough on everybody. That call [to my wife], when I go, "Hi, I got injured, I'm going to the hospital," is not a great phone call to make. I didn't feel like I could do it anymore."
While Craig's wrist-slashing comment caused quite a stir during the Spectre press tour, it seems to come from a place of genuinely wanting his version of the character to be the best – and most physical – it can be. After all, his on-set injuries went beyond just cuts and bruises. Craig hurt his knee fairly early on in the filming of Spectre, leaving him to finish the film with a knee brace that had to be erased in post-production. The actor would go on to injure his ankle while filming No Time To Die, a testament to Craig's commitment to the role.
With many considering Craig to be one of the best – if not the best – Bond, it would seem that his commitment to the physicality of the role has paid off. It remains to be seen what place No Time To Die will hold in the franchise's long history, but Craig has already given fans two of the best and most memorable Bond films of all time with Casino Royale and Skyfall. If the early critical consensus is anything to go by, it seems that No Time To Die makes a worthy sendoff for the character and will have many audiences happy that Craig opted not to throw in the towel after Spectre.
Source: USA Today
