December 17th 2024.
It's no secret that actor Daniel Craig is a huge fan of the film Challengers, but there was one scene in particular that left him feeling a little let down. During a conversation with fellow actor Josh O'Connor for Variety's Actors on Actors series, Daniel opened up about his thoughts on the highly acclaimed film.
Josh, who stars alongside Zendaya and Mike Faist in the hit movie, plays one of three tennis players caught in a complicated love triangle that spans over a decade. Daniel playfully expressed his disappointment with what he calls "the hotel scene" – a pivotal moment where best friends Art and Patrick (played by Mike and Josh) vie for the attention of tennis superstar Tashi.
"The scene in the hotel room, where they don’t have sex with each other, is the biggest c**k tease in movie history," Daniel told Josh, who couldn't help but laugh in response.
But despite his disappointment with that particular scene, Daniel still has a lot of love for the film. He admires how the director, Luca Guadagnino, lets viewers discover and interpret the complex romance for themselves.
"I love where [Challengers] goes: All of that setup, and you get to the moment. Which is what Luca’s about – he wants to hit the moment of love. And you see a love between the two guys that trumps everything around it. I’m just a sucker for it. What else is there?" Daniel shared.
Josh agreed, adding, "I think that’s what was going on in this film: Yes, there’s the tennis backdrop, but the desire these three people had for each other that’s torn apart … and there’s an invisible magnet that’s dragging them back together. That was definitely a Luca component that was bubbling underneath."
It's no surprise that Daniel is a big fan of Luca's work, as he is currently working on Luca's upcoming film Queer, where he plays leading man William Lee. He revealed that he wouldn't have taken on a role like this while portraying James Bond, as it would have felt like a reactionary move, given how different it is from the iconic 007 character.
But with his time as Bond coming to an end in 2021 with No Time To Die, the question of who will take over the role has been a hot topic in the acting world. And for Daniel, it's not just about finding the right actor, but also about the conversation surrounding masculinity that comes with playing such an iconic character.
"I couldn’t have done this while doing Bond. It would look reactionary like I was showing my range," he shared. "I had it all the way through Bond anyway – could there be this Bond? That Bond? So anything that is going to inflame that conversation? No – life’s too short."
In a separate interview with The Times, Daniel also talked about the toll that playing Bond took on him emotionally. He explained that after each Bond film, it would take him around six months to recover. "I always had the attitude that life must come first and, when work came first for a while, it strung me out," he shared.
As for who will take over the role of Bond, there are plenty of names being thrown around, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Rege-Jean Page, and James Norton. And who knows, maybe Josh's name might make the list too.
But for now, fans can enjoy Challengers and continue to debate the film's complex romance. And who knows, maybe one day we'll see Daniel and Luca working together again on another critically acclaimed project.
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