Craig's Honest Confession About His Biggest Career Regret
The future James Bond star admits he took a blockbuster role purely for financial reasons, later calling it his worst professional decision. His candid remarks reveal the reality behind Hollywood choices.
Daniel Craig might just pull off what few Bond actors have managed: building a stellar post-007 career that rivals Sean Connery's legendary run. George Lazenby barely registers in this conversation, having achieved little of lasting significance. Roger Moore spent his later years riding the wave of that signature eyebrow raise.
Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton delivered solid performances afterward, but Bond remained their career peak. Craig's different. Three Golden Globe nods for the Knives Out films and Queer prove his range. The financial security from playing cinema's top spy gives him freedom to take creative risks.
From Supporting Player to Leading Man
Sure, he's only appeared in two non-Bond, non-Benoit Blanc movies this past decade. But the trajectory looks promising. Craig may never match Connery's sustained A-list status through retirement, though he's got the tools to make a solid attempt.
Before donning the tuxedo, Craig hadn't really broken through. Layer Cake in 2004 put him on the map as leading man material. Television work in Our Friends in the North earned notice, and Road to Perdition showcased his dramatic chops. But that first major starring role really launched everything.
The Tomb Raider Money Grab
His blockbuster debut three years earlier tells a different story entirely. Playing Alex West in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Craig joined Angelina Jolie's record-smashing adventure. The film became the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever made and topped the charts for female-led action movies.
Making history wasn't on Craig's mind, though. When Phase 9 asked about his motivation for playing the adventurer and Jolie's ally, his response was brutally honest: "Money!"
He expanded on that blunt assessment without much enthusiasm seeping through. "I also like going to the cinema and having popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, the lot, while watching some big Hollywood movie. So it was an opportunity to be a part of that, and it was a good movie for what it was, but that kind of film does not turn me on."
Regrets and Hindsight
Time hasn't softened Craig's view of that early career choice. He later labeled Tomb Raider the "worst mistake" of his professional life. Hopefully the paycheck made that regret a little easier to swallow.