Daniel Craig admits he still gets jealous of other actors when they get jobs he wants: ‘It’ll eat you up’
He played James Bond in five films and has an estimated net worth of £125 million.
But Daniel Craig has admitted he is still jealous of other actors when they get the job he wanted.
He said: ‘I get jealous all the time, of every damn actor who gets a job that I would like, but I admit it.
“Someone gave me some good advice before: don’t be bitter, it will eat you up.”
Daniel’s most recent role is in the film Queer, which follows American expat and war veteran William Lee (played by Craig), who has a romance with a younger man, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey).
The actor recently revealed that he felt “empty” and emotionally “exhausted” after shooting each of his James Bond films.
Daniel Craig has admitted he is still jealous of other actors when they get the job he wanted
He said: ‘I get jealous all the time, of every damn actor who gets a job I would like, but I admit it’ (pictured in the film Queer)
Daniel starred in five Bond films between 2006 and 2021, and Daniel has now admitted that the money-grubbing films took a physical and emotional toll on him.
‘Early on at Bond I thought I should do other work, but I didn’t. I became a star, whatever that means, and people wanted me in their movies. Incredible.
“Most actors are largely unemployed, so you take job offers, but they left me empty. Then I finally got paid.
‘At the end of Bond I was so exhausted that it would take me six months to recover emotionally. I’ve always had the attitude that life should come first, and when work came first for a while, I drifted out of it.’
Daniel remains very fond of the Bond franchise, and he’s eager to see what’s next from producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson.
He added that who the next Bond could be “is not my decision or problem” but said he wished those who choose “good luck.”
During the same interview, the actor also revealed that he initially turned down the chance to play James Bond because he feared it would limit other opportunities for him in the film industry.
He played 007 in five films, ranging from 2006’s Casino Royale to 2021’s No Time To Die, but admits he had reservations about playing the role of the legendary spy.
The actor recently revealed that he felt ’empty’ and emotionally ‘exhausted’ after shooting each of his James Bond films
When asked if he was nervous about taking on the Bond role, Daniel replied: ‘Yes, definitely. That’s why I turned it down. I mean, I said, ‘No.’
“There was no script at the time, so again, my arrogance was unbelievable, but I thought, ‘Well, until I see a script, I can’t possibly make a decision.’
“And it was fear, exactly what you’re talking about, about that thing and many others, how it would change my life.
‘I was making quite good money at the time, so if I had done what I was doing at that time all my life, I would have been more than happy.
“But it was really one of those things where I mean would I be typecast as James Bond? Boohoo.’
Daniel took on other film roles in between Bond films, such as Defiance and Cowboys and Aliens, but explained that his attempts to showcase his versatility as an actor had left him burned out.
Daniel said of Bond: ‘Most actors are largely unemployed, so you take job offers – but they left me empty. Then I finally got paid.”
He said: ‘I think I felt like I had to prove myself. And after a while I realized I didn’t have the energy for that.
‘They are not films like ‘Defiance’, because I am very proud of them.
But Bond is your life when you do it – each film covers about two years of your life; you are away from home for more than six months; and the idea of involving anyone else because of the need to prove to the world that I have reach is kind of ridiculous, so I stopped doing that.
‘There are a number of films I’ve made that I was incredibly proud of. But I was exhausted making those films. It was better to just concentrate on the bonds.”