Even Daniel Craig Has To Worry About Being Sexy Enough

By Allyson Johnson | Celebrity | September 19, 2023 |

By Allyson Johnson | Celebrity | September 19, 2023 |

In hilarious news, Casino Royale director Martin Campbell shared his concerns over casting Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. His concerns had nothing to do with talent or even name recognition, considering the actor hadn’t had his big break yet. No, the big worry was whether or not Craig was “sexy” enough to play the famous character.

Who we find attractive is subjective, obviously. And while Craig might not be in the same classification of “handsome” as some of the Bonds before him, mileage will vary on what type of “handsome” works best for the viewer. Personally, teenage me thought Craig was incredibly attractive in Casino Royale, and adult me thinks I had good taste. Campbell explained his initial concern further in an interview with Express UK.

“My only reticence with Daniel … he was really a superb actor, there’s no doubt about that,” Campbell said. “It was the fact that with people like Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan was that they were all traditional-looking Bonds. All handsome guys, all sexy, all very attractive to women, and so forth.”

Craig has appeared in five films as Bond, with 2021’s No Time to Die being his last. His casting was met with deterrents — because, as always, people are predictable — and Campbell mentions that part of his concern over Craig’s looks was that he was more rugged than the Bonds that had come before him. To many, that ruggedness, that sense of life in physicality was part of his appeal. Yes, our introduction to Craig’s version of the character involves a near-superhero level chase involving parkour and explosions, but there’s a vulnerability in that rough-around-the-edges cadence that made him a superb Bond.

It’s always interesting when directors and creatives in charge talk about men’s looks in relation to roles. Would a woman who wasn’t seen as obviously “conventionally attractive” have managed to get as big of a leading role based on her talent alone and in spite of initial hang-ups? Probably not.

Source: Variety