Daniel Craig – from macho-Bond to LGBTQ+ person

The leading role in "Queer" is one of the most demanding in Daniel Craig's career. Gone is all James Bond glamour. Here, he plays Lee, an unhappy, drug-abusing homosexual man who drifts around in Mexico.

» Updated: September 18 2024

» Published: September 03 2024

Daniel Craig – from macho-Bond to LGBTQ+ person
Photo: Vianney Le Caer/AP/TT

The film has been directed by Luca Guadagnino ("Call me by your name") and contains several realistic and sweaty sex scenes.

There is nothing intimate when you do sex scenes on a film set. We had rehearsed all the movements for months and we wanted it to look touching and natural, says Daniel Craig when he meets the press at the film festival in Venice.

Book by cult author

The film is based on the book "Svängd" by William S Burroughs. It is a kind of continuation of Burroughs' autobiographical novel "Tjacket". "Svängd" was written in the early 1950s, but was not published until 1985.

Guadagnino read the book when he was 17 years old. Then, he had already begun to identify as homosexual, but the book opened up a new world for him.

The deep feeling between the two, there was no form of condemnation whatsoever. And I felt that I owed it to the boy I was to make a film of the book.

He describes the film adaptation as "quite simple and straightforward", while it was complicated to carry out.

We filmed everything in a studio in Cinecitta in Rome. Burroughs was an author who created worlds. To do something realistic would have been a betrayal. I wanted to make a Burroughs film, he wrote with words, our task was to give life to those words.

Said yes immediately

Guadagnino says that Daniel Craig was the first actor he thought of, but did not believe that there was a possibility that he would want to participate. A mutual friend, however, asked the question and Craig said yes immediately.

I have wanted to work with Luca for many years, so it was not something to think about. This is one of those films where if I saw it without having been in it, I would think "I would have wanted to be in it", says Daniel Craig.

At the press conference, someone asks if there could be a James Bond who is gay. Guadagnino laughs and answers:

No one really knows what James Bond desires.

"Queer" is competing in Venice. It has not yet been bought for Swedish distribution.

Age: 56 years.

Family: Wife Rachel Weisz, two children.

Lives: In New York.

Occupation: Actor.

Previous films in selection: "Elisabeth", "Road to Perdition", "Lara Croft: Tomb raider", "Rage of love", "Casino Royale", "The Golden Compass", "Quantum of solace", "Cowboys and aliens", "Skyfall", "Spectre", "Logan Lucky", "Knives out", "No time to die", "Glass onion".

Currently in: "Queer", which is being shown in competition at the film festival in Venice.

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

The Hives Announce New Album
1 MIN READ

The Hives Announce New Album and European Tour Starting October

Meg Westergren Honored with 2023
1 MIN READ

Meg Westergren Honored with 2023 Fatima Prize by Karl Gerhard Society

Authors Demand UK Action on
1 MIN READ

Authors Demand UK Action on Meta Over Alleged Book Copyright Breach

Ane Brun Cancels Istanbul Concert
1 MIN READ

Ane Brun Cancels Istanbul Concert Following Protest Backlash

Marion Brunet Wins Alma Prize
4 MIN READ

Marion Brunet Wins Alma Prize for Young Adult Literature

Oliver Stone to Testify in
1 MIN READ

Oliver Stone to Testify in Congress on New JFK Documents

Maria Montazami and Samir Badran
1 MIN READ

Maria Montazami and Samir Badran Join The Traitors on TV4

Masked Singer Tops TV Ratings
1 MIN READ

Masked Singer Tops TV Ratings with 1.5 Million Viewers

New Beatles Biopics Cast Revealed:
1 MIN READ

New Beatles Biopics Cast Revealed: Mescal, Quinn, Keoghan, Dickinson

World's Largest Children's Book Prize
3 MIN READ

World's Largest Children's Book Prize Set for 1 PM Announcement

Micke Syd Joining Noice as
1 MIN READ

Micke Syd Joining Noice as Drummer Revealed as April Fool's Joke

Meet the New Faces of
2 MIN READ

Meet the New Faces of Married at First Sight Season 12

Sweden's Creative Industries Generate 650
2 MIN READ

Sweden's Creative Industries Generate 650 Billion Kronor Annually

Lady Gaga Adds Third Stockholm
1 MIN READ

Lady Gaga Adds Third Stockholm Show to European Tour

Net Fishing in Torneälven Nominated
1 MIN READ

Net Fishing in Torneälven Nominated for UNESCO Cultural Heritage

Pernilla Wahlgren Welcomes Second Grandchild
1 MIN READ

Pernilla Wahlgren Welcomes Second Grandchild as Oliver Ingrosso Celebrates New Arrival

British Schools to Screen Netflix
1 MIN READ

British Schools to Screen Netflix Hit Adolescence After PM's Endorsement

Laleh's New Album I Am
1 MIN READ

Laleh's New Album I Am Drops June 27 with Summer Tour

New Novels by Sandgren and
1 MIN READ

New Novels by Sandgren and Schulman Explore Teachers' Journeys

Love is Blind Season 2
1 MIN READ

Love is Blind Season 2 Reunion Arrives on Netflix April 3

Sweden Revives Field Artist Training
1 MIN READ

Sweden Revives Field Artist Training After 25-Year Hiatus

Örebro Museum Plans Exhibition on
2 MIN READ

Örebro Museum Plans Exhibition on Risbergska School Tragedy

Netflix Unveils Live-Action Scooby-Doo Series
1 MIN READ

Netflix Unveils Live-Action Scooby-Doo Series Exploring First Mystery

Richard Chamberlain, Iconic TV Star,
2 MIN READ

Richard Chamberlain, Iconic TV Star, Dies at 90

Richard Chamberlain, Beloved TV Icon,
2 MIN READ

Richard Chamberlain, Beloved TV Icon, Dies at 90

Sigge Eklund's Play Bolero Brings
3 MIN READ

Sigge Eklund's Play Bolero Brings Family Drama to Stockholm Stage

Bob Hund's Thomas Öberg Honored
1 MIN READ

Bob Hund's Thomas Öberg Honored with Hassepris for Humanistic Spirit

Roger Daltrey Shares Vision Loss
1 MIN READ

Roger Daltrey Shares Vision Loss News at Charity Concert

Ferry Svan Advances in Let's
2 MIN READ

Ferry Svan Advances in Let's Dance as Ciara Zelmerlöw Exits

Academy Apologizes to Director Hamdan
1 MIN READ

Academy Apologizes to Director Hamdan Ballal After Criticism

Mammas Nya Kille Returns for
1 MIN READ

Mammas Nya Kille Returns for a Ninth Season on Sveriges Radio

Hov1 Expands Farewell Tour with
1 MIN READ

Hov1 Expands Farewell Tour with New Dates in Sweden and Finland

Olympic Champion Sarah Sjöström First
2 MIN READ

Olympic Champion Sarah Sjöström First Out on Masked Singer Sweden

Zelda Film Set for 2027
1 MIN READ

Zelda Film Set for 2027 Release with Live-Action Adventure

Trump's Cultural Moves Mirror Putin's
2 MIN READ

Trump's Cultural Moves Mirror Putin's Tactics, Expert Warns

Frida Edman Takes the Helm
1 MIN READ

Frida Edman Takes the Helm at Gothenburg City Theatre

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
1 MIN READ

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series Surpasses 300 Million Copies Sold

Sanna Samuelsson Wins Swedish Radio's
1 MIN READ

Sanna Samuelsson Wins Swedish Radio's Short Story Prize

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Releases
1 MIN READ

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Releases Book with Blake's Grave Soil

Indian Film Debut Shines: All
3 MIN READ

Indian Film Debut Shines: All We Imagine as Light Hits Swedish Cinemas