Daniel Craig Says Playing James Bond Was ‘Emotionally Difficult’ for His Family

Daniel Craig shared that his journey as James Bond was quite a challenge for both him and his loved ones.

Craig brought the iconic character to life in five thrilling films: “Casino Royale” (2006), “Quantum of Solace” (2008), “Skyfall” (2012), “Spectre” (2015), and “No Time to Die” (2021). With his remarkable tenure as the lead, Craig has the distinction of having the longest run as the lead in the beloved Bond films.

During a chat with film critic Mark Kermode and the BFI in London, Craig shared his love for playing Bond, while also reflecting thoughtfully on its challenges.

“I loved every second of it. I mean, some of it was tough and weird and strange and emotionally kind of difficult for everybody, including my family. The fame is weird,” said Craig, as per Variety.

Back in October 2015, Craig discussed the challenges of playing James Bond, and opened up about sustaining injuries and dealing with exhaustion and explained why at one point he felt like he “couldn’t do that anymore.”

“I’ve always tried to be honest about my feelings,” the “Knives Out” actor told Time Out London, per USA Today. “When I started doing Bond (in 2006’s ‘Casino Royale’), I threw myself into it and was as physical as I possibly could be. I felt like that was really important ― that’s who I wanted my Bond to be.”

He added, “I wanted people to believe it was me doing those stunts. However, after ‘Spectre,’ I genuinely felt like I couldn’t do that anymore. I felt like, ‘What was the point?’ Also, it’s at least a year out of my life away from home. And that is really tough on everybody.”

Daniel Craig’s 007 Retirement is a Blessing for Rachel Weisz

Craig is married to fellow actor Rachel Weisz, who he shares a child with. In November, he said that stepping away from Bond has required him to rethink his career path.

“I’ve got a six-year-old at home,” Craig shared, referencing his daughter with Weisz, 54. “And I don’t want to be away from home as much as I have in the past.”

A source close to the couple previously shared with Closer Weekly that the demanding nature of the role and the level of commitment of the actor made him difficult to live with. The source further added along with his grueling training schedule, he was also drinking too much which also affected his marriage.

“That role was so demanding, not just the shoot schedules… the level of commitment it took year round to stay in shape, all the training sessions and the diets, [had] made him very hard to live with. He really threw himself into it to such an intense degree. And then there was all the drinking he did, that wasn’t exactly conducive to a happy marriage.”

In 2023, Weisz expressed relief after Craig retired from his role as James Bond.

She used to worry about his safety while filming the dangerous action franchise. Although she is very proud of his work in 2021’s ‘No Time To Die,’ they are both relieved he’s not putting himself at risk of injury anymore.

Speaking on The News Agents podcast, the actress said:

“It was very dangerous,” she recalled, revealing: “I mean, he got injured a lot because he did all his own stunts.”

Now that he is officially done with the films, she said: “So, the danger quotient has definitely gone down…” adding: “It is a much less stressful time for him.”