No Time to Die's co-editor Elliot Graham says Daniel Craig cried after watching the film, which marked his last time ever playing James Bond.
Daniel Craig cried after watching his last ever appearance as James Bond in No Time to Die. The 25th installment of the James Bond franchise saw Craig retire the famous black and white tuxedo after starring in five consecutive films, starting out with 2006's Casino Royale. No Time to Die was constantly moved around multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic meaning his final bow was delayed. But landing in theatres in October 2021, the film did not disappoint and scored praise from critics and the audience alike.
No Time to Die followed the events after Spectre and saw Bond being dragged out of his retirement to help fight against Lyutsifer Safin's (Rami Malek) bioweapons project. The film is praised for slightly going away from the usual James Bond formula, being the first film of the franchise to have the British spy be killed, with Craig approving of the character's death. Other differences came in the form of Bond not being 007 in the film, having a relationship and even creating a family out of it with Bond discovering that Madeline's daughter Mathilde is his own.
The Digital Spy reports that co-editor Elliot Graham revealed during the film's BAFTA win that Craig had an emotional reaction watching his last appearance as James Bond, as well as saying how Craig helped with the editing process. Graham revealed that he was not meant to tell the story of Craig's reaction but said that it was "because it was 18+ years of his life". Graham added that he offered suggestions towards the final cut, helping the editors out with the process.
“You know, I’ll tell a story that we’re not supposed to, but he watched the rough cut of the film by himself. And we were invited in a few minutes after the producers. And he was in tears. Because it was 18+ years of his life. And it meant that much to him. There are actors were filmmakers who understand the process. And he’s one of them. He absolutely supports his collaborators, his directors, producers and writers. And he spent three days in the editing room with us and could not have been more of a gentleman.”
No Time to Die did well at the BAFTAs, being nominated for five awards and taking home the Best Editing award. Lashana Lynch, who starred as the film's new 007 Nomi, deservingly took home the Rising Star award for the role. The film will be competing for three awards at the 2022 Oscars, being nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Original Song, where a win would break a James Bond record. If Billie Eilish's theme wins Best Original Song, it would be the first time the franchise has won the award three successive times.
It is no surprise that Craig felt emotional during his last outing as James Bond, becoming the longest-serving Bond, despite Sean Connery and Roger Moore appearing in more films. Despite admitting that his audition for the 007 role went awfully, for 15 years and five films, Craig has always looked natural as the British spy, becoming the face of the franchise to the newer set of fans. His talent and excellence portraying the iconic role will be missed, but James Bond fans are excited to see who will take over, having very big shoes to fill after No Time to Die.
Source: Digital Spy
