Now that Daniel Craig has officially bid farewell to 007 with “No Time to Die”, he’s looking back at the 2005 media event in which he was announced as taking on the role of James Bond.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Awards Chatter” podcast, Craig recalled that London launch event as a “f**king train wreck.”
Podcast host Scott Feinberg looked back at the moment. “You’re 37 and you are brought to the press conference that’s going to announce your casting in a Royal Navy boat that comes down the River Thames, and basically, it was a barrage of s**t,” noted Feinberg, remembering Craig being criticized for not wearing a lifejacket and possibly chewing gum, in addition to being “too blonde” and “not tall enough” to play Bond.
Feinberg asked Craig whether he had anybody to talk to about it. “The honest answer is nobody,” Craig replied.
“Once the announcement was made and we did that incredibly successful press conference…” he continued. “I’ve watched bits of it. It’s a f**king train wreck. In some ways, I regret the way that press conference went; in other ways, I’m very happy the way that press conference went.”
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According to Craig, he was admittedly unskilled when it came to dealing with the media. “I didn’t know how to turn on the charm, which was to be charming and be artful about it, ‘Oh, that’s a lovely question, how nice of you to ask that.’ I was just, ‘F*ck you! You, f*ck you as well!’ That’s all I wanted to say,” he said.
