Daniel Craig sought no comfort amidst the chaotic production of his second installment as James Bond. In a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter's "Awards Chatter" podcast, the British actor reminisced about the tumultuous journey of crafting "Quantum of Solace" in 2008. "A fucking nightmare," Craig exclaimed, recounting how the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike dealt a crippling blow to the film's production.
"Paul Haggis had initially given the script a polish, but then he joined the picket line, leaving us sans writers and, consequently, without a coherent script," Craig recounted. "We probably shouldn't have embarked on production, but we did," he admitted. "I ended up penning much of the film, though I hesitate to take credit for it. I didn't want it."
Under the direction of Marc Forster, "Quantum of Solace" starred Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright, and Judi Dench. Despite grossing nearly $600 million worldwide, the film garnered negative reviews from critics and stands as the lowest-rated among Craig's five Bond ventures.
"It did see the light of day," Craig remarked. "There are some breathtaking stunt sequences, and I still bear the scars to attest to that. In a sense, it boasts plenty of great elements, but it just didn't gel." He continued, "The storytelling was lacking. That's the stark lesson: embarking on a film without a solid script is a recipe for disaster."
In 2019, Craig, now 56, announced his retirement from the role of James Bond after five films, with his final portrayal in 2021's "No Time to Die," which culminated in his character's demise.
In a recent conversation with The New Yorker, the actor, who was promoting his new erotic film "Queer," opened up about his hesitations in embracing the Bond persona. "One of my principal reservations about portraying Bond was the rigid construct of masculinity," Craig confessed. "It was often ripe for laughter, but you can't mock it and expect it to resonate. You must buy into it."
He elaborated, "The vulnerability of human beings has always fascinated me. We're all susceptible, regardless of our identity or toughness. But it's about how boys are nurtured and how men are expected to conduct themselves."
The "Knives Out" star also revealed that he has evolved into "a different person" since embarking on his Bond journey. "Bond has been nearly two decades of my life," he said. "When I embarked on it, I was one person. Today, I'm a completely different individual. I'm not making 'Queer' as a reaction to Bond. I'm not that petty. But I couldn't have done this film during my Bond days. It would've felt like, 'Why? What are you trying to prove?'"
The identity of the next 007 remains undisclosed, although whispers suggest that Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 34, has been offered the prestigious role.
