Daniel Craig recalls ’emotionally kind of difficult’ time for his family with wife Rachel Weisz

Daniel Craig got candid about the toll that playing one of Hollywood’s most iconic characters really took on him and his blended family, revealing that he couldn’t deal with the celebrity status that came along with it.

The 56-year-old spoke at the British Film Institute in London on Monday night and was asked if he enjoyed playing James Bond, a role which he held from 2006 until 2021.

“I did. I loved every second of it,” he said. “I mean, some of it was tough and weird and strange and emotionally kind of difficult for everybody, including my family. The fame is weird.”

Daniel shares his 32-year-old daughter, Ella, with his ex-wife Fiona Loudon; he married The Mummy actress Rachel Weisz in 2011, and the pair share a 6-year-old daughter, Grace. Rachel also shares her 18-year-old son, Henry, with director Darren Aronofsky.

He went on to explain how the celebrity status that accompanied the iconic role sparked some hesitation in the actor. “I was working and had a little bit of fame, and it bought me, you know, a drink at the bar. But I could still go anywhere,” he said of the time before he joined the A-list.

Despite the toll Daniel’s fame took on his family, Rachel explained in a 2023 interview with The Guardian how they have adapted in the years since to reach a new level of comfort with celebrity.

“Celebrity — it really doesn’t mean anything to me. And it’s no work at all to keep not showing up at events. It’s no work at all to keep a private life,” she told the publication. 

She continued: “Life can be demanding. Life in a family can be complicated, but I don’t even know what ‘celebrity’ means. I don’t think of myself like that.”

The 54-year-old shared that Daniel’s fame had become entrenched in their lives since his 2006 debut as Bond. 

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“I’m used to it now,” she said. “Like, if someone recognizes my husband, it’s just part of life. They’re normally really nice and go, ‘Best Bond ever!’ or whatever. It’s not in a place where it’s difficult or oppressive.”

For his part, the Queer actor revealed that he put so much energy into playing the famous spy that he was wrung out at the end of his 15-year run. 

“I was so exhausted at the end of a Bond it would take me six months to recover emotionally,” he told The Sunday Times. “I always had the attitude that life must come first, and when work came first for a while, it strung me out.” 

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The British native revealed that he nearly turned down the star-making role as he was already satisfied with his career wins. 

“There wasn’t a script at the time, so again, my arrogance was unbelievable, but I was just like, ‘Well until I see a script, I couldn’t possibly make a decision,” he told the publication. 

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“And it was fear, exactly what you’re talking about, of that thing and many others, how it would flip my life.”

He continued: “I was making a pretty good living at the time, so if I spent my life doing what I was doing at the time, I would’ve been more than happy.”