Daniel Craig has revealed that he avoided playing gay roles, like his current character in Queer, during his time as James Bond to avoid appearing “reactionary.” The actor, who starred as 007 in five films between 2006 and 2021, said taking on such a role during his Bond tenure would have looked like an effort to showcase his range.
Speaking to The Times, Craig explained, “I couldn’t have done this while doing Bond. It would look reactionary, like I was showing my range. I had the conversation all through Bond anyway—‘Could there be this Bond? That Bond?’—and I didn’t want to inflame it further.”
Craig’s current role as the gay protagonist in Queer, a William S. Burroughs adaptation directed by Luca Guadagnino, has been praised by critics. Reflecting on his Bond career, Craig shared that the demanding franchise left him emotionally drained, requiring up to six months to recover after each film. “Early on with Bond, I thought I had to do other work, but I didn’t. I was so exhausted at the end of a Bond it would take me six months to recover emotionally,” he admitted.
As speculation about Craig’s successor continues, Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is rumored to be in contention, alongside fan favorites like Regé-Jean Page, Cillian Murphy, and Idris Elba. However, Elba has dismissed suggestions of his involvement.
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli recently shared insights into the selection process for the next 007, hinting the actor will “likely be in his 30s” and emphasizing that “whiteness is not a given.”
