Rami Malek Confessed Why He “Couldn't Handle” Working With Daniel Craig

Malek and co. obviously did a good job of selling the film, though. No Time to Die smashed box-office records across the globe. In the U.K. and Ireland, for example, it achieved the highest opening weekend figure in the history of the franchise. It also instantly surpassed Peter Rabbit 2 as the highest-grossing movie of the year.

The action-packed movie was just as popular outside the secret agent’s homeland. Within the same timeframe, it had raked in an astonishing worldwide total of $119 million. Any concerns that cinemagoers would be deterred by the lengthiest running time for a Bond film ever – a bum-numbing 165 minutes, no less – were obviously unfounded.

Malek certainly appeared to put 007 fans minds’ at ease in a chat with website Digital Spy. He said, “People have heard that the running time is a little bit longer than most Bond films, but I'll tell you, from start to finish it is a gut-punch every second. I think when you get out of that theatre, you will be moved, you will be entertained, you'll get everything you want from a Bond film, essentially.”

And the critics appeared to agree. After its first week of reviews, No Time to Die’s Rotten Tomatoes rating stood at an impressive 84 percent. Variety magazine was particularly effusive, describing it as “an unabashedly conventional Bond film that’s been made with high finesse and just the right touch of soul, as well as enough sleek surprise to keep you on edge.”

Even the royal family appeared to believe that the wait was worth it. Yes, the premiere of No Time to Die, which was staged at London’s Royal Albert Hall, was attended by none other than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. And Malek, who’d previously met the future King and Queen of England at the BAFTA Awards, believes they enjoyed what they saw.

After claiming that seeing the royals again was like “meeting old friends,” Malek told entertainment news source E!, “I sat right behind them in the royal box. I was watching Prince William’s reaction. You can see a lot from what someone’s body language was doing. I think they loved the film. That was the impression I got.”

The mantle of best James Bond, of course, will always be up for debate. Some believe the first, Sean Connery, is deserving of the honors. Others the campy Roger Moore or dashing Pierce Brosnan. But Craig can certainly lay claim to being the most commercially successful. His performance in Skyfall helped the 2012 movie become the first-ever 007 entry to gross over $1 billion! It also achieved the highest North-American opening to date with a cool $88 million.

But Craig had to suffer for his art while filming his James Bond swansong. The actor was forced to undergo surgery to his ankle after injuring it during a chase scene shot on the island of Jamaica. His recuperation time put back the production of No Time to Die by several weeks.

Alongside Craig, No Time to Die also stars several other returnees. Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris reprise their roles as Q and Eve Moneypenny, respectively, while Christoph Waltz once again causes havoc as the villainous Blofeld. But for many fans, it was the new additions to the franchise that provided the most intrigue.

Fresh faces included Lashana Lynch as Nomi, another “00” agent, and Ana de Armas, who’d previously shared the screen with Craig in Knives Out, as Paloma. The biggest new name, though, was undoubtedly Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody star Malek as baddie Safin. And the actor told GQ magazine that agreeing to the role was a no-brainer.

You might be surprised to learn that Malek didn’t even have to audition for the part. Speaking to newspaper Metro in 2021, casting director Debbie McWilliams revealed that producers wanted someone younger who could also bring something new to the table for the main villain. And when she spotted Malek at a party she made a beeline for the actor with the offer of a lifetime.

McWilliams explained, “Every single person in the film has to, not go through an audition process necessarily, but they have to be met and be seen face-to-face. We always get them in the room, whoever they are. He didn’t do an audition, we knew he was the guy.”

The chance to appear alongside Craig was a major factor in Malek’s decision. He told GQ, “Look, there was no way I was going to say no. It’s a 007 film, man. They’re a part of our cinematic history… An opportunity to go toe-to-toe, head-to-head with Daniel and give them all I got? That’s something I’ll look back on as as big as it gets.” But when the duo finally got to meet, it turned out to be quite difficult for Malek.

Fans became immediately excited by this duel when the trailer dropped in late 2019. The promo shows Bond being provoked by Safin about his romantic interest Madeleine Swann before the villain claims that he and the secret agent are actually alike: “We both eradicate people to make the world a better place. I just want to be a little tidier.”

The trailer proved that Malek, just as producers wanted, was playing things a little differently. And the star later told newspaper USA Today about the method behind his madness. He said, “When you raise your voice, it’s probably because you’re panicking. I found it compelling to think about someone who draws you into them because they have power, they have the control.”

Malek also agreed with Craig that their characters should give comedy a wide berth, adding, “I thought that we didn’t need quips and one-liners, and Daniel was in the same headspace. A few years ago, I might’ve said, ‘Give me more jokes.’ But the importance of the moment is as serious as it could possibly be and has ever been for James Bond.”

It turns out that Craig was just as excited as Malek about their cinematic battle. He told GQ, “I go up against people. I’m up against him. Rami knows me. He understands the weight of what he’s playing. He understands he’s playing a Bond villain – what that means, what it means historically and the kind of Bond villains that have come before. Rami’s really good at his job. I mean, that’s an understatement.” Would he still feel that way when the pair started reading their lines together, though?

Malek certainly didn’t appear to have any qualms about being associated with the James Bond franchise for the rest of his life. The star added, “Fortunately, I’ve played some transformative characters, and I hope they all speak for themselves. I don’t know, maybe some louder than others. Safin will speak loudly, I hope.”

So did working with Craig live up to all the high expectations? Well, it appears so. When asked about his highlight of the shoot, Malek cited a pivotal scene between their characters upon which they were allowed to collaborate with director Cary Fukunaga and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge. And the pair also hit the town afterward to celebrate their creative session.

Craig also appreciated having such an intelligent and instinctive talent to work alongside. He told GQ, “There’s an alchemy that happens when you’re making a movie, which is like you put all these things together. When you’re working with Rami, you just know he is aware of all those things. He’s got this big, active brain, so I know he’s pushing all the right buttons.”

The love-in continued when Craig was given one of the ultimate showbiz accolades, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Alongside Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Malek helped to present the actor with the honor. And as you would expect, he had nothing but positive things to say.

Malek gushed, “It’s a privilege to work with him, to watch him, and especially impactful to play opposite his most iconic James Bond in his last venture.” The actor also recalled his first day on the No Time to Die shoot and how he tried to avoid meeting Craig until he was in his Safin attire. Unfortunately for Malek, his on-screen nemesis saw him dodging out of the way. He added, “No, it was not my coolest moment.”

After quipping that Craig could carry out all of Bond’s stuntwork “with one arm tied behind his back and the other holding a Negroni,” Malek continued to reel off his co-star’s qualities. He noted the actor’s empathy, warmth, talent, and “awareness for what those around him need.” Malek also acknowledged how laser-focused Craig was when it came to shooting every scene.

Malek couldn’t stop singing Craig’s praises in a chat with the Daily Mirror newspaper, too. He said, “I think he has brought a real sensitivity to the character. We have seen some real vulnerability and a lot of back story that explains why Bond is like he is. That sensitivity really manifests itself in this film.” The actor also believes that the pair brought out the best in each other during filming.

Malek added, “It is so important he goes out on a high and I really think we have achieved that. I pushed him hard on set, he pushed me hard on set and we really did push each other to the limits. This is one of the fiercest Bond v Bond villains I think there has ever been. That’s why we worked each other so hard to get this right.”

Malek’s obvious admiration for Craig also had a downside, though, as he explained on British TV chat show The Graham Norton Show in a group chinwag about the film. Yes, when it came to his first scene opposite the Brit, the Academy Award-winner couldn’t control his nerves. And as a result, Malek struggled to even get his words out.  

And it was the sight of seeing Craig on the 007 stage in his Bond attire that got Malek all flustered. He admitted, “I will say, the second I got out there, there were moments I dropped lines and I was like ‘Oh, this is because I’m looking straight at James Bond.’ I couldn’t handle it.”

Craig, alongside several other No Time to Die cast members, was also on the show as Malek recalled their first scene together. And he was quick to insist that his co-star had absolutely nothing to worry about. Craig said, “He’s brilliant by the way. He’s absolutely brilliant, as all of these guys are. They’re just stunning in the movie.”

Malek obviously became more comfortable in Craig’s presence as the shoot went on. As pretty soon, the James Bond villain was locking lips with his on-screen arch-rival after every scene. Well, that’s if you take their banter entirely seriously. But apparently, Craig really is a lot more tactile behind the scenes than his brooding exterior would suggest.

Craig’s affectionate side was first revealed by Malek during an appearance on TV series The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2019. The actor explained how things took a turn for the amorous after the pair had finished rehearsing a particularly difficult scene. Instead of a handshake or hug, Craig decided to celebrate by picking up his co-star.

Malek continued, “I can’t tell if I initiated the next moment, if it was him or I. But a kiss transpired between the two of us. I’m going to say that Daniel initiated it, and I was very taken aback… I took a moment, caught my breath, and I looked out and said, ‘So, does this make me a Bond girl?’”

Luckily, Craig didn’t seem to mind this story being relayed on national television. In fact, he actively encouraged it. In a chat with magazine Entertainment Weekly, the actor said, “Listen, this story’s had legs about kissing Rami; I’ve just been trying to give it more legs. I don’t know if it’s on social media. I haven’t got social media, but I said I used to kiss Rami after the end of every scene. It’s like no big deal.”

But Craig drew the line at being asked to put the co-stars he’d smooched in any kind of order. He said, “It’s like, I’m a very friendly guy, and I wouldn’t rank anybody. That would be a terrible, terrible thing to do, to rank the best kissers. I would just... how many people could I offend? Terrible. Thousands, thousands of people.”

But it sounds as though Malek would have no problem placing Craig on top of his personal kiss-list. In the same interview, the star chimed in, “I would just rush through scenes just to get to that moment that you would get kissed. ‘Cary, Cary, two takes, we’re good?’”

But Malek isn’t the only No Time to Die name to speak so fondly of Craig. Writer Waller-Bridge told GQ she was hugely impressed with both his work ethic and acting ability. She said, “Bond is very close to his heart and he fights for the integrity of the character every step of the way… Overall, he grounded a fantasy character in real emotion, which is what I think we hadn’t realized we’d missed among the action and the bravado.”

De Armas was also delighted to be reuniting with Craig on the No Time to Die shoot. She told publication The Hollywood Reporter, “Having met Daniel before and getting along so well on the set of Knives Out, there was nothing awkward when I got to the Bond set. There was no ice to be broken. It was just easy and smooth.”

And Lynch described her working experience with Craig as “beautiful” to Vogue magazine before recalling watching his final scene. She said, “It felt like such a momentous moment. People’s whole lives can change in the time it takes to shoot one movie, so for him to have done five is a massive deal. It’s been years of his life. But he was so graceful. He did a 20-second speech and then said, ‘Barbara, you say something.’ That’s him all over.”

Jeffrey Wright, who’s played Bond ally Felix Leiter since Casino Royale, also paid tribute to his long-time co-star in a chat with website The A.V. Club. He praised Craig for his ability to inject a “deeper kind of humanity” into No Time to Die. Wright concluded by remarking that the actor has “really left a very positive stamp on this.”

But no one has been more glowing about Craig than Malek. The star even believes that the Academy Awards should honor the Brit’s last Bond performance, telling radio show Capital Breakfast, “I would be a fool if I didn’t consider, if everyone didn’t consider this incredible actor to be in that position. The amount of stress, the work ethic, Daniel’s discipline on set that’s one thing... And then to add on his ability as an actor, it’s second to none.” Craig will, of course, go down in Bond history. And when he does, he’ll join these iconic Bond girls. The franchise wouldn't have been the same without them...

Swiss bombshell Ursula Andress – the first and arguably still the ultimate Bond girl – played Honey Ryder. The Dr. No character is a shell diver, and the image of her emerging from the sea in a white bikini remains iconic for many fans even today. Now 85 years old, Andress still looks fabulous with cheekbones to die for and a perfect pout.

Italian beauty Daniela Bianchi played Soviet Embassy clerk Tatiana Romanova, whose boss, the great Bond villain Rosa Klebb, favored a knife-in-shoe approach to killing. Bianchi, now nearly 80 years old, has lost none of her Bond-girl looks, with her perfectly coiffed blond hair and smooth, glowing skin still in place.

Martine Beswick actually played a Bond girl twice: first, she was Zora in From Russia with Love; then she played Paula in Thunderball. And the year after the latter movie, she was cast alongside Raquel Welch and John Richardson in the famous One Million Years B.C.. Incidentally, she would end up marrying Richardson, though the couple later divorced. Today, the beautiful actress is nearly 80, but she’s aged very gracefully indeed.

Another iconic Bond moment belongs to Shirley Eaton in 1964’s Goldfinger. Her character, Jill Masterson, is found on a bed dead, having been covered completely in gold paint by the titular villain. Today, the 84-year-old British beauty is as glamorous as ever with long, white-blond hair, a killer smile and only a few lines betraying her advanced years.

Luciana Paluzzi brought to life Thunderball’s Fiona Volpe, a SPECTRE assassin who almost kills Bond – though of course he makes sure that she’s taken out first. The Italian star withdrew from acting in the late ’70s; and now, at 84, she looks as fabulous as ever.

Tsai Chin was the very first Chinese Bond Girl. She went on to find big success in the Western film world, appearing in movies such as The Joy Luck Club, Memoirs of a Geisha and Now You See Me 2. She even made a second appearance in a Bond film, Casino Royale, as Madame Wu. Now she’s in her eighties, but she looks as though she could be much younger.

Jill St. John, portrayed jewel smuggler Tiffany Case opposite Roger Moore in Diamonds are Forever. And since then, she has been known for her work with husband Robert Wagner. The American actress, who’s now 80, still has her iconic red hair, her beaming smile and her stunning physique. Jill St. John is killing it!

Lana Wood – sister of late actress Natalie Wood – played the magnificently named Plenty O’Toole, a beautiful young lady whom Bond encounters in Las Vegas. Wood is still just as striking as in her Bond Girl days, but her life hasn't always been easy. In 2011 she started suffering from arthritis and even became homeless. Luckily, though, fans managed to raise her some money to get her back on her feet.

In 1971 Trina Parks became the first ever black woman to play a Bond girl. She praised the franchise producers in 2019 to web channel DailyMailTV, saying, “Back then, most producers just had this tunnel vision casting of hiring the same-looking women. But in England people were more open to age, ethnicity and color.” The stunning actress in her seventies now, yet she certainly doesn’t look it.

Jane Seymour, who’s now in her sixties, has barely aged a day since playing Solitaire, a psychic to Live And Let Die villain Dr. Kananga. The British-American star has continued to act in movies and TV, too, with her youthful complexion, stunning figure and long, luscious locks the envy of women everywhere.

In 1973 Gloria Hendry played Rosie Carver, a double agent Bond girl who ends up getting killed. She might have ended up actually playing a girlfriend of James Bond.… but it was thought at the time that audiences wouldn’t accept an interracial relationship on screen. Hendry is now in her seventies, and she’s aged beautifully.

Madeline Smith was the first Bond girl to appear on screen opposite Roger Moore, and she loved portraying Italian agent Miss Caruso. She’s even still active in the Bond community today, touring the country and giving talks about the franchise. And she’s all for the idea of 007 being played by a female in the future, too – so maybe she herself could take the role.

Swedish stunner Britt Ekland is as striking today as she was when playing Mary Goodnight, Bond’s assistant in The Man with the Golden Gun. Thanks to the role, Ekland became one of the most photographed female stars of the ’70s. Though she’s now in her seventies, her blond hair and blue eyes are still wowing.

Before she became Mrs. Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach played Anya Amasova – a.k.a. Agent Triple X – a KGB operative who was more than a match for Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me. Now in her early seventies, the actress – who’s famous for her long hair and blue eyes – is remarkably unchanged from her heyday.

Actress Sue Vanner played a Bond lover known only as “Log cabin girl.” Many years later, she looks incredible for her age – and it’s all the more remarkable considering what she’s lived through. Not long after becoming a mother, she ended up with a brain tumor that almost killed her, and after that she fought a battle against breast cancer. Vanner has got to be one of the most badass Bond girls.

Caroline Munro played the helicopter-flying, sadly doomed Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me. Now she’s over 70 and looks as glamorous as ever. She’s still in the acting game, too. In 2019 she told The Guardian, “The roles are getting better for women. When you think about it, the most iconic Bond girl is Judi Dench.”

Lois Chiles is the stunning actress behind Holly Goodhead, the space explorer and CIA operative in Moonraker. The former model had actually been asked to appear in The Spy Who Loved me the year before, but she’d decided to take a hiatus from acting. Today, over 40 years after the movie, Chiles’ natural beauty is still striking.

Carole Bouquet, who’s now in her early sixties, looks virtually the same as she did when portraying Melina Havelock in For Your Eyes Only. The star presumably made the most of her role as a Bond girl, after previously missing out on the part of Holly Goodhead in Moonraker.

Lynn-Holly Johnson has lived quite a remarkable life. Though she was only 22 when she portrayed Bibi Dahl in For Your Eyes Only, she’d already been an actress and a champion ice skater. She survived an injury in the rink and – even worse – a stroke that could have killed her. Yet she lived, and now at 62 she looks as though she hasn’t aged a day.

Kim Basinger played Domino Petachi opposite Sean Connery, who in Never Say Never Again returned as 007 after 12 years. Today, the actress, who won an Oscar for her role in 1997’s L.A. Confidential, looks practically the same more than 30 years since being a Bond girl.

Maud Adams didn’t disappoint as the eponymous Octopussy – part businesswoman, part jewel smuggler – in the iconic ’80s Bond flick. She also seems to have smuggled her good looks into later life; now, nearly 40 years on, Adams’ smooth complexion and sparkling blue eyes remain as prominent as ever.

Swedish star Kristina Wayborn played Magda in Octopussy – memorable for the fight scene that resulted in several broken toes for the actress. In 2015 she told the website Thrillist, “Back in [the] ’60s, women were more eye candy. But I also think Bond films always have that strong woman.” Yet even decades on from her role in the movie, Wayborn is undoubtedly still eye candy.

Not your average Bond girl, Grace Jones wasn’t to be messed with as henchwoman May Day in A View To A Kill. Now over 70, Jones has cheekbones that still rival those of any young model, while her toned physique and flawless legs defy her years.

Actress Fiona Fullerton was 29 when she played Pola Ivanova in A View To A Kill. Now she’s in her sixties and retired from acting, having become a landlady instead. She says even her younger clients know she was a Bond girl. Perhaps that’s not surprising, though, as she still looks just the same.

English actress Maryam d’Abo won hearts as Kara Milovy, the cellist girlfriend of The Living Daylights’ villain Georgi Koskov. More than 25 years later, the actress now keeps a low profile. But fans would recognize her bouncy blond hair and endearing smile anywhere.

Carey Lowell turned heads as ex-military pilot and CIA informant Pam Bouvier in License to Kill, partly because of her strikingly short brown hair. Though Lowell actually quit acting in the noughties, now at 60 she looks virtually the same, having maintained her trademark cropped locks.

Talisa Soto starred in License to Kill as the unfortunate Lupe Lamora. She wasn’t destined to be with Bond, but she was memorable nonetheless. And a year year after appearing in the movie, she was named as one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in The World. Most fans will agree that she could still win that accolade today.

Famke Janssen played villainous Bond girl Xenia Onatopp, who got her kicks in Goldeneye from crushing men to death with her thighs, as you do. The Dutch star’s good looks have since been seen in the X-Men franchise, the Taken trilogy and How to Get Away With Murder, and today she’s still just as stunning in her mid-fifties.

Polish-born actress Izabella Scorupco was suddenly thrust into spotlight when she appeared in the Pierce Brosnan Bond movie Goldeneye in 1995. A few decades on, and she doesn’t keep much of a high profile. She even turned down a major role in the film L.A. Confidential. And while today Scorupco has swapped her brunette curls for long, blond locks, she’s just as good-looking.

Action star Michelle Yeoh has been in so many celebrated movies that it’s easy to forget she was a Bond girl too. Yes, she played beautiful agent Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies back in 1997. And the actress – now nearing 60 – credits her ageless looks to yoga, cardio and no longer doing all her own stunts!

Actress Teri Hatcher is no stranger to the big or small screen. She’s won hearts in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Desperate Housewives and of course the James Bond movies. And although Tomorrow Never Dies was a critical flop, and Hatcher apparently didn’t get along well with Pierce Brosnan, she can at least take solace in her still-youthful looks.

Critics didn’t exactly rave about Denise Richards’ performance in The World Is Not Enough. When the movie hit theaters, the AV Club website called her turn “laughably awful,” for instance, and in 2012 Variety magazine named Richards “the least plausible nuclear physicist in the history of movies.” Variety did concede that she was “easy on the eyes,” though, and she still is today.

Sophie Marceau portrayed Elektra King in the 1999 James Bond outing, but she preferred to stick more to French cinema after that. And in 2016 she had some criticism for Hollywood and its treatment of older women. She told website SCMP.com, “The old guys, one day they will be [labeled] old-fashioned if they think that a 50-year-old woman cannot be sexy.”

Fitting into the grand tradition of Bond girls having extremely silly names, Serena Scott Thomas’ The World Is Not Enough character was named Molly Warmflash. The actress was 38 when she performed the role (and a notable sex scene) and now she’s 59, but the two decades seem to have barely touched her.

Iconic Bond girl Halle Berry is often asked how she stays looking so young, and she has a few tips. She doesn’t drink alcohol but does drink a concoction called bone broth, she does cardio, and she routinely uses face spray among other things. She’s over 50 years old now but could still rock the orange bikini.

Rosamund Pike, aka Miranda Frost from Die Another Day, has lots of thoughts about becoming an older woman in Hollywood. In 2016 she told newspaper The Telegraph, “With [male actors], the trick is, you keep getting older, but the women all stay the same age.” Yet she looks good regardless of how old she is.

Rachel Grant played a minor but memorable character in Die Another Day, a masseuse named Peaceful Fountains of Desire. Despite production of the movie being rather troubled, she’s said she still remembers her time on set with fondness. And even though she’s 43 now, she looks like she could reprise her role with ease.

Apparently, it was between Margaret Nolan and Shirley Eaton for the role of Bond girl Jill Masterson in Goldfinger. In the end, Eaton bagged the part, but Nolan got to play two roles in the film: she’s both the Golden Girl in the title sequence and the masseuse named Dink. Decades on, Nolan maintained her trademark lovely hair and winning smile. Sadly, she passed away in 2020.

As the only Bond girl to marry 007, Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, is pretty iconic. The actress who played her, Diana Rigg, stunned on the big screen with her natural beauty. Before her death in 2020, Rigg sported an on-trend bob cut and appeared in three seasons of Game of Thrones.

American beauty Tanya Roberts starred in A View To A Kill as Stacey Sutton, with her iconic blond locks, full lips and piercing blue eyes. The actress went on to feature in That ’70s Show, before her death earlier this year.