“All handsome guys, all very attractive to women”: James Bond Director Was Scared One 007 Actor Was Not as S*xy as Sean Connery, Roger Moore
James Bond is one of the most popular spy-drama-based franchises in Hollywood. Not many actors have had the chance to be a part of the billion-dollar franchise over the years. Actor Sean Connery played the character of the handsome spy in the first movie Dr. No in 1962. Over the years, the role has been played by talented actors such as George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
Daniel Craig was introduced to the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale in 2006. During an interview with a reputed media outlet director Martin Campbell spoke about his apprehensions about casting Daniel Craig as James Bond.
Director Martin Campbell Was Skeptical About Casting Daniel Craig as James Bond
Daniel Craig replaced Pierce Brosnan as the face of the James Bond franchise after the commercial failure of Die Another Day in 2002. In comparison to all the previous James Bonds such as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan, who were traditionally good-looking and even fitted into the frame of the charismatic spy so well, Daniel Craig was kind of out of place because of his rugged looks.
During an interview with the media outlet Express UK, Casino Royale director Martin Campbell spoke about the decision to cast Daniel Craig. He said-
“My only reticence with Daniel…he was really a superb actor, there’s no doubt about that. It was the fact that with people like Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan was that they were all traditional-looking Bonds. All handsome guys, all sexy, all very attractive to women and so forth.”
While talking about the Knives Out actor’s looks, he mentioned-
“Daniel was obviously tougher and rugged, but he wasn’t a traditional handsome guy. So I just thought about that for a minute and apart from that, absolutely it was always him.”
Selecting an actor for the character, that had been so well played by extremely talented actors over the years was a herculean task. The actor further added-
“It’s very democratic. You sit around a table…It was myself and the producers, casting director, etc. And you go through the eight people and you put your hand up as you talk through each person and ultimately everybody has to be unanimous in their decision, if you see what I mean.”
The critical and commercial success of Casino Royale not only helped Daniel Craig solidify his place in the spy drama franchise but also helped the audience accept him as the new face of the James Bond franchise.
Daniel Craig On Being A Part Of The James Bond Franchise
During an interview with The Times, Daniel Craig spoke about his association with the James Bond franchise and his decision to take an exit from the responsibility of playing the smartest spy in the history of entertainment. He said-
“I was driving away from the Berlin premiere of Casino Royale with Barbara Broccoli. I had genuinely thought I would do one Bond movie, then it would be over. But by then we knew we had a hit on our hands. I realized the enormity of it, so I said to Barbara, ‘How many more? Three? Four?’ She said, ‘Four! I said, ‘OK. Then can I kill him off?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ “
Daniel Craig took an exit from the 007 franchise in 2021 with No Time To Die even mentioned-
“I said, ‘This is it. I don’t want to do any more,’ ”
The 55-year-old English-American actor was very well aware of the fact that he did not have the traditional Bond look. He never let the unwanted criticism over his looks get under his skin. During an interview with Kevin Polowy, senior correspondent at Yahoo Entertainment in 2021, the actor said-
“Of course, I was bothered by it. But there was nothing I could do. It’s like [the saying goes], ‘Control the things that you can control.’ All I could do was make a good movie, or attempt to make a good movie and say, ‘There you go.’ And if they didn’t like it, then I don’t know, that’s all I had to give.”
Daniel Craig has been the face of the talented spy in five movies Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time To Die.
Casino Royale is currently available on Apple TV.
Source: Express UK / X / The Times
