The James Bond franchise has built a strong fandom all due to their dazzling experiences, intense action, and impeccable performances of titular stars for over six decades. From the first Bond, Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, it continued to flow the 007 legacy, enveloping their charisma.
Since 2021, the titular role has been waiting for the next person to don the spy role. As Craig has already left the position vacant, he once talked about feeling worried about accepting the iconic role.
Daniel Craig Opened Up About Getting into the James Bond Franchise
The 55-year-old actor, Daniel Craig in a 2020 interview with GQ reflected on his time when he was offered to play the titular role of the James Bond franchise. He was sure that he was not the right fit for the role since his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan is a great example of a gritty and dark genre that the franchise was known for.
“I was like, ‘This is what they do. They get people in. They’re just feeling around,’ ” he said. “Plus, Pierce was not leaving Bond, right?”
When he realized that the franchise producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli were dead serious about his casting, he decided to talk things out.
“I remember saying to them early on, ‘I can’t do a Sean Connery impression. I can’t be Pierce,’ ” he said. “I can’t do the kind of ‘Oh, well.…’”
Initially, he hesitated to accept the role but was terrified to decline the offer as he shared,
“It was genuinely like, My life is going to get f–ked if I do this.”
After Brosnan was let go by the studio, he continued to be hedgy until he decided to ask for Casino Royale‘s script. Things eventually worked out in the end with the actor playing the 007 agent for five films.
Pierce Brosnan Was Fired from James Bond Franchise
Brosnan, on the other hand, is a highly acclaimed actor who continued the spy legacy but was eventually fired from the franchise. Debuting in 1995 with his film GoldenEye, he continued to portray the role until 2002’s Die Another Day.
Despite winning fans’ hearts, his abrupt ending as James Bond came as a surprise to many but reports claimed that Bond makers let him go after the failure of his last film which grossed over $431 million worldwide. Not just the mixed reaction from critics, it was also reported that his demand for higher pay for the next film also contributed to this matter.
Later on, the Black Adam star shared his narrative of how he was kicked out from the franchise.
“They’ll call you next Thursday. I sat in Richard Harris’s house in the Bahamas, and Barbara and Michael were on the line —‘we’re so sorry.’ She was crying, Michael was stoic and he said, ‘You were a great James Bond. Thank you very much,’ and I said, ‘Thank you very much. Goodbye.’ That was it.”
While his departure was quite cold, producers mentioned that they were looking to reboot the franchise which is why they let go of Brosnan.
Source: GQ
