Actor Daniel Craig has played James Bond for the past 15 years, but with this October’s No Time To Die, he’s setting down his martini glass and pistol and retiring the character.
The farewell speech that Craig gave to the crew after wrapping No Time To Die has now emerged online. Craig gets emotional in his sendoff, saying, “I’ve loved every single second of these movies, and especially this one, because I got up every morning and I’ve had the chance to work with you guys. That has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Craig also acknowledged some of the controversy about what he said in the past about the James Bond films. He didn’t mention any specific examples, but Craig is quoted as saying that, after wrapping up Spectre, he would rather slash his wrists than come back to play 007 again. But Craig did agree to return for the 25th James Bond movie, and he later said his earlier comments–which he made just two days after he wrapped Spectre when he was feeling exhausted–were “really stupid.”
It’s pretty clear from Craig’s emotional farewell speech that making five James Bond movies was a special achievement for the actor. While he’s finished playing 007, Craig is still making movies, including the upcoming Knives Out sequels that will pay him $100 million.
No Time To Die comes to theaters on September 30 in the UK before debuting in the US on October 8. Advance tickets are on sale now.
The movie is directed by True Detective’s Cary Joji Fukunaga and features Rami Malek as the villain. Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Naomie Harris, and Rory Kinnear all return from earlier entries, while Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) and Ana de Armas (Knives Out) join the cast.
