Why Daniel Craig would “rather slash his wrists” than make another James Bond movie
Playing James Bond is a rare distinction that doesn’t come around all that often, but in the case of Daniel Craig, it was so exhausting that he couldn’t think of anything worse than doing it again.
Originally signing a three-film contract beginning with Casino Royale, his deal expired with Skyfall. However, nobody thought he wouldn’t end up inking an extension when Sam Mendes’ debut as director became the first and still only 007 adventure to race past a billion dollars at the box office.
The actor would agree to an additional two films, and by the time No Time to Die was released in 2021, his 15 years spent as the character made him the longest-tenured Bond in history. When he wrapped up his fourth outing, though, getting back into the saddle was the last thing on his mind.
When asked in an interview with Time Out if he’d always planned on headlining at least four of the expansive espionage adventures, Craig was borderline dismissive of his ongoing involvement. “Well, I was contracted to do another one. That was all setup,” he said. “But at the studio, there was a real keenness to get it done as soon as possible.”
The interview was conducted just days after principal photography on Spectre had concluded, so when Craig was asked to gauge his interest in a fifth film, he couldn’t sanction the idea. “Now? I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists,” was his scathing response. “No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.”
Continuing on in that vein, he admitted that while it wasn’t at the forefront of his thinking, there was a simple method of guaranteeing his return. “I haven’t given it any thought. For at least a year or two, I just don’t want to think about it. I don’t know what the next step is. I’ve no idea. Not because I’m trying to be cagey,” he explained. “Who the fuck knows? At the moment, we’ve done it. I’m not in discussion with anybody about anything. If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.”
Obviously, he did do another Bond movie and was handsomely compensated for his efforts, but Craig did make a point of definitively killing off the iconic hero for the first time ever. Before that, he’d already voiced regrets over his poor choice of words, acknowledging that “instead of saying something with style and grace, I gave a really stupid answer”.
In Craig’s case, the worst time to ask him about Bond was when he was right in the thick of it, although history has shown on numerous occasions he’ll be fielding questions about 007 for the remainder of his career.
