Daniel Craig says he could ‘relate’ to his ‘complicated’ gay character in Queer

Daniel Craig has reflected on the “beautiful challenge” of playing a complex gay man in his new, Luca Guadagnino-directed film, Queer.

Queer, based on the semi-autobiographical novel by author William S. Burroughs, sees the James Bond star as William Lee, a troubled drink and drug addict who has fled to Mexico following a drugs bust.

While there, he spends his days in search of men to sleep with in order to numb his loneliness, before encountering discharged American Navy serviceman Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) and becoming instantly infatuated.

Despite an age gap, Eugene’s sexual ambiguity and lack of interest, William persists, before Eugene ultimately relents to his come ons. The pair spend their days together – sex scenes abound – and end up venturing into the South American jungle in search of a telepathy-inducing psychedelic.

It’s a strange film, though Craig carries it with his fascinating turn as the enigmatic yet tragic William.

Speaking to PinkNews and other media, Craig explained that it was a “beautiful challenge” to play a character like William, though admitted he will “never really know” what he must’ve been experiencing, as a gay man in 1950s Mexico.

“To meet a character as complicated as this was just such a beautiful challenge,” he explained of how he feels playing the role in retrospect.

“And just to do it in this context with Luca, where we did it, how we did [it], all of those things, was just… this is a cliche, ‘[those parts] don’t come along very often’, but they just don’t.”

Though William is a “complicated” character, much of his experience – his approach to sexual encounters, his isolation, his depressive state – can be linked back to the fact that he is a gay man, living at a time where being gay is strictly forbidden.

Asked how he came to understand what it would’ve been like for William at that time as a gay man, Craig confessed: “The honest answer [is] I could never really know.”

He continued: “I think that what fascinated me so much about this part is, is his emotional journey, and I could relate to most of it.

“I mean we thankfully don’t live in a country where it’s an illegal act anymore. The honest answer is, I can’t [understand what it was like for William]. All I can do is try and do it justice. That’s all I can do.”

Daniel Craig has previously said that he doesn’t feel Queer is “defined” by William’s sexuality.

“There’s kind of a trust in the director, and a trust in the process of what you know, and realising that the story has massive, universal themes that appeal hopefully to everybody,” he told Variety, reflecting on whether straight actors should play gay roles like his.

“The movie’s not defined by that. I genuinely don’t think it is. Other people see it differently, that’s up to them.”

During his conversation with PinkNews and other media, Craig went on to reflect on how he and Starkey built chemistry together, considering their characters’ ample intimate moments.

“You prepare and you prepare and prepare and you come to set and then suddenly you’re in this sort of place and hopefully that groundwork is going to inform, but then added to that are these just incredible performers who come in front of you and give you something,” he gushed.

“There’s a whole other level that opens up because you’re in response to them.”

Queer is out in US cinemas on 27 November and UK cinemas on 13 December.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.