With his fourth turn as the world’s favourite libidinous superspy coming out at the end of the month with Spectre, speculation is rife that the film will be Daniel Craig’s swansong performance as 007. And if a recent interview with Time Out London is anything to go by, the actor has had enough.
Asked would he like to play Bond again, the British actor replied: "Now? I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists.
"Not at the moment. Not at all. That's fine. I'm over it at the moment. We're done. All I want to do is move on," he added.
In the frank and honest interview, Craig explains that he “begged” director Sam Mendes, an Oscar winner for his work on American Beauty, to return to helm Spectre after the critical and commercial smash that was 2012’s Skyfall.
Playing Bond has arguably been the career move that made the 47-year-old actor a household name, though Craig described pulling on the tuxedo and the gun holster as “a drag.”
“The best acting is when you're not concerned about the surface," he says, "and Bond is the opposite of that. You have to be bothered about how you're looking."
The BAFTA nominee has not ruled out returning to the Bond franchise for the next instalment, but he has expressed a desire to take a break.
"For at least a year or two, I just don’t want to think about it," he says. "I don’t know what the next step is. I’ve no idea. Not because I’m trying to be cagey. Who the f— knows? At the moment, we’ve done it. I’m not in discussion with anybody about anything. If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money."
In recent weeks, it was rumoured that British actor Damian Lewis had been offered the iconic role as 007, and is anticipated to pick up the mantle upon Craig's departure from the franchise, whether that comes with Spectre or not.
Spectre will be released in Irish cinema on October 26th.
