Daniel Craig was the longest-serving actor to portray James Bond. So, when he chose to play William Lee in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’, some thought he took the role to explore vulnerability, far removed from the alpha masculinity of ‘Bond’.
Clarifying that ‘Queer’ was just another character for him to explore and not to establish that he is more than Bond, Daniel says, “I couldn’t have done this while I was doing ‘Bond’—it would have felt reactionary, like a statement about ‘Bond’ rather than about me and what I truly wanted to do. Now that I’ve moved on from ‘Bond’, I can take on films like this, but that’s not how I see it.”
On the importance of casting Daniel Craig as William Lee, Luca Guadagnino, who adapted ‘Queer’ from William S Burroughs’ 1985 novella, says, “It was absolutely essential.
There’s something beautiful about knowing that a perspective is irreplaceable—that there’s only one way to see it. In this case, Daniel’s interpretation of William Lee is that perspective—it couldn’t be anyone else’s.” Guadagnino elaborates, “In filmmaking, you only have one point of view. You can set up five cameras, cover everything, and trim it later—but that’s not cinema.
Cinema is about making a choice and fully committing to it.” Having portrayed vigour and virility with finesse as ‘James Bond’, Daniel portrays susceptibility, queerness, and loneliness in Guadagnino’s film. However, the actor says these emotions are universal to all. “I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced true loneliness, but I’ve certainly felt lonely. I’ve felt desire, lust, and an intense yearning for someone,” he reveals, confessing that these emotions drew him to the film.
The actor then adds, “Burroughs’ writing is all about the unspoken, the undercurrents bubbling beneath the surface. What fascinated me were themes like drug use, alcohol, and masculinity—such rich, layered aspects to explore as an actor.” While most actors share their method behind portraying certain emotions onscreen, Daniel credits his co-star Drew Starkey for being able to truly embrace vulnerability as William Lee.
“Drew Starkey is a wonderful acting partner, he’s an incredibly talented, sensitive actor who knows his craft, works hard, and is fully present with everyone in the room, striving to make each scene the best it can be. When filming something so intimate, I rely on everyone in the room. It’s never just one person’s effort; it’s a collective gesture, a shared commitment to portraying something as sensitively and beautifully as possible.”