Daniel Craig Almost Refused James Bond but This Single Script Line Convinced Him to Take the Role
The latest Agent 007 actor didn’t want to take this role at first, but thanks to this one line in Casino Royale’s script, he instantly realized it was worth every second of his time.
The James Bond franchise is undoubtedly among the most popular and long-standing in history, and every generation has its own version of the iconic Agent 007. The latest one was Daniel Craig ’s, and the audience loved it; few people know, however, this version of the franchise almost never happened.
At first, Craig wasn’t sure about playing Agent 007. Scratch that; the actor was actually adamant about rejecting it. After passing the auditions, he felt like the character wasn’t for him and argued with producer Barbara Broccoli about it. Craig even shared that she borderline “bullied him” into accepting the offer.
But that’s not the whole story.
After their bickering, Daniel Craig insisted that he had to see the script before accepting the gig. In reality, he barely wanted to ensure that he didn’t want to play Bond, but he said that he needed the script to make the final decision. When the script arrived, Craig was very skeptical and ready to give up the role immediately.
Until he saw the one line that changed his fate.
"I go, 'Yeah, it's not really for me'... But it was Casino Royale and I mean it was just blinding, and when I read the line, you know 'Vodka, martini, shaken or stirred?' 'Do I look like I—' and it was written in the script, 'Do I look like I give a f*ck?’ That was the line... As soon as I read that I went, ‘Oh sh*t, I mean, how can I say no to this?’” Craig told Express UK.
We totally get why Craig accepted the gig after the line: it’s absolutely cold. There was no way the actor was rejecting the offer after reading that, and good for him: Casino Royale made Daniel Craig a superstar, and his career hasn’t been the same ever since.
Source: Express UK