Daniel Craig reveals how being James Bond affected the roles he has taken in recent years

Hollywood star Daniel Craig has said he is “working harder” than he ever has and “enjoying it more” and has reflected on roles he has taken in the past and how being James Bond has affected that.

The 57-year-old is best known for playing James Bond including in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum Of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).

Since his 007 days, Craig has taken on a variety of roles including portraying the famed private detective, Benoit Blanc, in the Knives Out whodunit series, and the outcast American expat, William Lee in Luca Guadagnino’s 2024 romance Queer, and he revealed to Radio Times that he feels able to take on roles that he previously may have been unsure about.

He said: “I’m not saying no to things that I might have been a little bit wary about before.

“When the Bond thing was going on in my life, the juxtaposition between that and another role would sometimes feel self-conscious.

“I’m working harder than I ever have, but I’m also just enjoying it more than I ever have.

“I get to do really interesting, different stuff.”

Craig stars in Wake Up Dead Mean: A Knives Out Mystery, the latest instalment of American filmmaker Rian Johnson’s whodunit trilogy alongside Emmy-winning actress Glenn Close, Challengers star Josh O’Connor, and That ’70s Show’s Mila Kunis.

Speaking about the film franchise, Craig added: “Of course I would love to continue working with him (Johnson). As long as Rian keeps inventing it the way he does, then I’m in.”

The third instalment follows on from 2019’s Knives Out and its sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, both of which also featured a star-studded cast including Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Ana De Armas, Chris Evans and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The full feature can be read in Radio Times Christmas Issue.

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