Daniel Craig has been doing the press rounds prior to the release of Spectre, which wouldn’t be notable if not for the fact that he’s been quite a bit more open than actors tend to be with reporters. Rather than merely repeating how much he loved acting in the movie, his co-stars, his director and the script, Craig instead threw a few curveballs into the mix by admitting that he was glad to not be playing Bond for a while, how the thing he’s most excited by is returning home to his wife, and now candidly stating that Bond is a misogynist whilst criticizing an interviewer’s statement that Monica Bellucci is an “older” Bond girl.
In an interview with Red Bulletin, Craig explained why he believes Bond has a “way with the ladies.” The actor said: “Let’s not forget that he’s actually a misogynist. A lot of women are drawn to him chiefly because he embodies a certain kind of danger and never sticks around for too long.”
When the interviewer brought up how Bond had been more chivalrous in recent entries in the series, Craig responded: “That’s because we’ve surrounded him with very strong women who have no problem putting him in his place.”
Monica Bellucci at Spectre’s London premiere. (Image Credit: Mike Marsland / Getty Images)
Then there’s this excerpt, which is too good to not include in its entirety:
And this time you’ve gone one better, showing 007 succumbing to the charms of an older woman.
I think you mean the charms of a woman his own age. We’re talking about Monica Bellucci, for heaven’s sake. When someone like that wants to be a Bond girl, you just count yourself lucky!
Craig’s comments are a breath of fresh air considering he’s the actor portraying one of the most beloved fictional characters of all time, with him being willing to openly discuss Bond’s flaws as much as he is able to discuss the character’s positive traits.
Spectre is set for release in UK cinemas on October 26th.
