Daniel Craig’s blockbuster 15-year stint as the iconic British spy James Bond made him a bonafide superstar overnight. From 2006’s Casino Royale until the fifth and final installment No Time to Die in 2021, Craig’s darker, edgier and more vulnerable version of James Bond appealed to audiences and critics in equal measure.
While many viewers went so far as to call the British star “the best Bond ever” among the many A-list stars who had portrayed the role, Craig’s journey in the franchise was not a bed of roses. The Skyfall actor confessed to being overwhelmed by the fame and pressured by the excessive scrutiny that he had to deal with, until Hugh Jackman came to his rescue with a sage piece of advice.
Hugh Jackman Helped Daniel Craig Come To Terms With Superstardom
Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be detrimental to a person’s mind. Daniel Craig experienced this feeling following his massive success as James Bond. The Quantum of Solace star who went from being a relatively unknown British actor to a major Hollywood celebrity with Casino Royale, revealed that he struggled emotionally and mentally to cope with this sudden burst of fame.
While fans around the world were going crazy about Craig’s version of the debonair secret agent, the actor himself was in a state of misery. In the Apple TV+ documentary Being James Bond, the No Time to Die star recalled his emotionally insecure state at the time and said,
“My personal life was affected by being that famous all of a sudden. I used to lock myself in and close the curtains, I was in cloud cuckoo land. I was physically and mentally under siege.”
Craig found a helpful ally in Hugh Jackman who was instrumental in imparting words of wisdom to the James Bond actor regarding his newfound superstardom. Jackman advised Craig to soak in the feeling, enjoy the adulation, and appreciate the good things coming his way without over analyzing it. Incidentally, The Wolverine star was offered the role of James Bond, but turned it down as he was committed to expanding his iconic X-Men role.
Daniel Craig Agreed To Be James Bond After Reading Casino Royale Script
Daniel Craig is widely considered one of the coolest actors to have played James Bond. The British star though, did not initially consider himself worthy of the role when he was approached to take on the character. Craig, who was a huge fan of his predecessors like Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan, believed that he would not be able to live up to the aura they had created for the character.
But these trepidations that the Knives Out actor had were quickly wiped out when he was presented with the script of Casino Royale. Originally having mentally made up his mind to reject it, Craig revealed his change of heart in the Apple TV+ documentary, Being James Bond.
“But little did I know it was Casino Royale [based on the first James Bond novel]. The story was solid, the script was solid.”
As it turned out, accepting the James Bond gig was one of the best decisions that Craig took in his career, and the results are there for all to see.
