Daniel Craig has admitted that he admires Chappell Roan for pushing back against fans to protect her own space and mental health.
READ MORE: ‘Queer’ review: Daniel Craig’s sweaty, sexy gay drama is far from James Bond
Roan’s feelings about fame have consistently made headlines over the last couple of months, with her recently comparing it to “an abusive ex-husband”. In an interview with The Face, the former NME Cover star vented about the normalisation of extreme fan behaviour including “stalking, talking shit online, [people who] won’t leave you alone, yelling at you in public.” She added: “I didn’t know it would feel this bad.”
Prior to that, she had taken to TikTok to share her thoughts on “weird” and “creepy” followers, calling out the “predatory behaviour” of so-called “superfans” that includes “nonconsensual physical and social interactions”.
In response in a new interview with The New York Times, Craig has now said: “I really admire the guts to say those things. Celebrity kills you. Really, it’s a terrible, terrible thing that can happen and I think you’ve got to really fight against all of the things that it throws in your face, because it’s so easy to be tempted.”
“Generating and maintaining that brand is about how much exposure you have,” he added.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘No Time To Die’. CREDIT: Universal
Asked whether he felt pressure to become more brand than actor, Craig went on: “Am I a brand? You have to do social media, and I can’t do that. I even regret emails I send.”
He also admitted that he would never have taken a role like his current one in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, during his tenure as James Bond. In his latest film he portrays an American expat in Mexico City, who spends his days and nights cruising gay bars and picking up young men, as well as mingling with other members of a small homosexual expat community.
Craig said: “I wouldn’t have done it. I was so wrapped up in Bond and what that was, I would have been terrified of doing something like this. Especially early on with Bond, I was like, ‘This is enough. Stay in my lane.’”
Elsewhere, he talked about roles like the character he plays in Queer. He added: “I know lots of tough men in this world who are vulnerable and I like to portray that in movies. That truth is interesting to me.”
Craig continued: “I recognise the character in myself. I recognise the pain, the longing, the yearning, the love, the difficulty, and all the faults.”
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