Daniel Craig recalls his time working with Javier Bardem on Skyfall, calling it a "dream come true." Craig had a memorable year, with the release of his fifth and final appearance as James Bond in No Time To Die. The epic conclusion to Craig's time as 007 saw him sacrifice himself in the film's final moments, after having gone toe-to-toe with Lyutsifer Safin, played by Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek. After 15 years in the role that the actor credits as having "changed his life," various names are already being thrown into the mix as to who will play this iconic part next.
Alongside Malek, Craig's Bond came up against a number of scene-stealing villains across his five appearances as the MI6 agent. Craig's first Bond film, Casino Royale saw him come up against Le Chiffre, played by Doctor Strange star Mads Mikkelsen, an antagonist who is often considered to be one of the better Bond villains from his era. Another considerable contender for the top spot, however, is Raoul Silva, played by Bardem in 2012's Skyfall, who many believe should hold the top spot as Craig's best villain. To this day, Skyfall is the most successful Bond film in franchise history, having earned around $1.1 billion at the global box office.
Now, Craig speaks to his time working alongside Bardem during Skyfall's production, sharing that the experience was a "dream come true." During Variety's latest Actors on Actors installment, Craig talks to Bardem via video call to discuss their various projects across the years and their experience within the industry, as well as their time together on Skyfall. Craig tells Bardem how they had wondered if he would even consider taking the role as Silva and shares his delight at the fact that they ultimately got to work together on the film. Check out Craig's full quote below:
We do have a lot in common, I think a love of acting and a love of working and a love of working with people that we are inspired by and you are one of those people for me, who inspired me in so many ways. Getting the chance to work with you was just a dream come true. [It’s] one of those things where you go, "Well, can we ask him?" "We can ask him but he’ll probably say no," and of course, you said yes and it was just... I’ve missed you ever since!
Following Craig's sweet comments, Bardem responds with "I love you," certainly mirroring his co-star's sentiments. The No Country For Old Men actor then goes on to say that he considers his time on Skyfall, as well as working opposite Craig, as "one of the highlights" of his life. Bardem praises Craig's final Bond performance before asking his former castmate if he was currently shooting the sequel to Rian Johnson's Knives Out, to which the 53-year-old reveals that filming is complete and that Johnson is currently in the process of editing.
It's incredibly heartwarming to see the relationship between these fellow actors presented in such a candid way, and hearing the two share so much praise for one another as actors is certainly sweet. It's fair to assume that the respect and admiration Craig and Bardem hold for one another is likely the driving force behind the pair's stand-out performances opposite each other in Skyfall. With Craig's return as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out 2, planned for release later this year, and with Bardem set to star in Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, audiences can only hope that the pair get another opportunity to work together on a new project soon.
Source: Variety