81 replies to this topic

[marktmurphy]

I just saw this story in today's Mail; not sure whether it's true or not but it's rather funny! Why can't he get pissed off at jokes if he doesn't like them?

http://www.dailymail...in_page_id=1773

All that visceral, muscular acting has, it seems, left Daniel Craig rather wanting in the humour department.

It might have been hoped that Craig would react with James Bond-style nonchalance - or at least magnanimity - at being passed over for a Bafta at Sunday night's awards in London.

Yet it appears that he became so wound-up after being beaten by Forest Whitaker in the best actor category that he shunned the whirl of afterparties and almost got involved in brawl with a journalist.

The evening did not start too comfortably for Craig, who appeared visibly uncomfortable at being praised for his honed looks by show host Jonathan Ross - then bristled with annoyance when Whitaker was announced best actor.

Craig left the awards at the Royal Opera House on the arm of his girlfriend, producer Satsuki Mitchell.

By the time the couple arrived at the Grosvenor House afterparty, a hotel security member described Craig as being "incandescent with rage".

It was at that point that the 39-year-old came face to face with journalist Johann Hari. Mr Hari, who is gay, said last night: "When we first spoke, he was in a vile mood. I just made a joke about how great he looked in his shorts in the film. There were so many ways he could have reacted.



Daniel Craig in those speedos
"But instead, he called me a 'ing fool'. I hadn't said it nastily. He could have just smiled and said he wasn't in the mood for a joke, but he was actively rude and seemed to snarl at me. I watched as he lost out to his award. Every clap for Forest Whitaker was like a little fracture in his heart."

A source from the hotel security added: "Satsuki saw the situation was about to get out of hand. She knows that Daniel can react and did not want it to kick off in front of so many people.

"She rushed to his side and literally put her arm between them before this guy got thumped. It was clear that Daniel was not at all happy."

A source close to the actor added: "Over the course of the evening, he had been getting increasingly wound-up with people coming up to him telling him how great he looked in those shorts as he came out of the sea in Casino Royale.

"Daniel sees himself as a serious classically-trained actor who spent three years with the RSC, and brought real depth to the role of Bond.

"First of all, he loses out on the Bafta, then everyone from Jonathan Ross downwards spends the night talking about how buff he looks in swimming trunks.

"He left the awards and went straight to the Grosvenor House and every five minutes was telling Satsuki he wanted to go. But his studio execs were adamant that he should stay on to show willing.

"Even when Dame Judi (Dench) came up to commiserate with him, she was given short shrift.

"Judi tried to have a laugh with him calling them a pair of losers - since she lost out to Helen Mirren too - but he didn't see the funny side.

"By the time this journalist popped up trying to have a joke about his shorts, Daniel was ready to rip someone's head off."

Shortly after Craig's short discussion with Mr Hari, he left with Miss Mitchell and the couple retired to their suite at the nearby Dorchester Hotel.

Craig's publicist did not wish to comment last night.

[Loomis]

Every clap for Forest Whitaker was like a little fracture in his heart.

Yes, of course it was. All I saw on TV was a smiling Craig who looked genuinely pleased for Whitaker when the award was announced, and unless Hari was sitting right next to Craig I doubt he could have seen anything else.

It's clear that Craig had some sort of confrontation with Hari (a 20-something, very left-wing commentator for The Independent well known for his support for gay issues and the legalisation of cannabis, as well as a concern for the environment), but suggestions that he was also a sore loser who got in a strop because he didn't get his Bafta seem to me unfounded and unfair.

Here's Hari's report on the incident. He's a very talented writer who often talks a lot of sense, but on this occasion his words suggest that he behaved obnoxiously:

I am standing at the heart of the glittering glamour-dump of the BAFTA awards, and He is walking towards me. It is Bond. James Bond. His expression is an angry blank, because he has just gunned down dozens of Armenian bomb-makers. (Or perhaps because he has failed to win the Best Actor award). I was sitting almost directly above him when the award slipped from his bloody grasp barely an hour ago, and he offered a forced hard handclap, each meeting of his hands representing another small fracture in his heart. I knew then Our Time had come. What Daniel Craig needs now to comfort him, I declared to the people sitting in the Royal Opera House with me, is the love of a fat homosexual. "Daniel!" I cry as he strides along the corridor. He stares suddenly with his shimmering blue eyes. I smile. He does not. "Oh Daniel," I ask with a sigh. "Why didn't you wear your little blue speedos? Maybe you would have won then." He stares at me. Is it? Can it be? Love? "You're a ing fool," he says, and walks away with an angry frown.

"There's no need to play hard to get Daniel! I'm yours!" I cry after him. But he is gone.

http://www.johannhari.com/index.php

[Santa]

Well. What an unpleasant little episode. Let's hope it's all .

[iexpectu2die]

Well it sounds like the journalist was rather an

[Bon-san]

OOh, even more salacious than Brosnan saying the f-word five times in a row. Dish the dirt!


Yes, I occasionally gaze at supermarket tabloids whilst waiting to pay for my groceries. But only because one cannot avoid them.

[Icephoenix]

"Why didn't you wear your little blue speedos? Maybe you would have won then."

What an utter load of tosh! It may have meant to be a playfull quip, but it definately comes across as being very condescending - not matter how it is said.

[Loomis]

Thing is, though, The Independent is about as far from a supermarket tabloid as you can get (although it is, I admit, a tabloid). Very good paper, highly respected (and, incidentally, my rag of choice). If even the quality press in the UK has it in for Craig, it won't be a surprise if he decides to leave the Bond role at Daltonesque speed. Still, I suppose this is just a storm in a teacup.

[Bon-san]

Thing is, though, The Independent is about as far from a supermarket tabloid as you can get (although it is, I admit, a tabloid). Very good paper, highly respected (and, incidentally, my rag of choice). If even the quality press in the UK has it in for Craig, it won't be a surprise if he decides to leave the Bond role at Daltonesque speed. Still, I suppose this is just a storm in a teacup.

I didn't mean to imply that The Independent is a supermarket tabloid. Although, I must admit the distinction between supermarket tabloid and regular tabloid is lost on me. I segued, perhaps too abruptly, from expressing my ugly love for 'the dirt' to my occasional dalliance with a supermarket tabloid, as a sort of catch-all confessional for my gossip-related sins.

Apologies to The Independent, all it's readers, and non-supermarket tabloids the world over.

[Loomis]

LOL! I just took "supermarket tabloid" to mean a sleazy, populist rag (complete with page three girl) trading largely in salacious showbiz stories in very basic English while masquerading as a newspaper, and was trying (for the benefit of non-UK CBners) to distinguish The Independent from something like The Sun. Apologies quite unnecessary.

[Bon-san]

LOL! I just took "supermarket tabloid" to mean a sleazy, populist rag (complete with page three girl) trading largely in salacious showbiz stories in very basic English while masquerading as a newspaper, and was trying (for the benefit of non-UK CBners) to distinguish The Independent from something like The Sun. Apologies quite unnecessary.

Well, I couldn't have carried on with my day with the thought that I'd offended Loomis. Top chap, he.

Now about this Hari person...

[00Twelve]

"Why didn't you wear your little blue speedos? Maybe you would have won then."

What an utter load of tosh! It may have meant to be a playfull quip, but it definately comes across as being very condescending - not matter how it is said.

Yeah, being in the acting field, I could understand Dan's frustration with being passed over when he accomplished a great deal, a huge feat (not that I've done that, but I understand the pressure). And I'm pretty sure that it would have taken some serious restraint to not hit this guy in the mouth for that comment. I know, "Lighten up!" But this comment says to me that the journalist cared nothing about his acting, and just about his hard-earned physique. And it seemed to imply (whether by intention or no) that Craig didn't get by on his talent but his appearance. I think Dan actually let the guy off the hook rather easily, f-bomb or no. Could you imagine if it were Russell Crowe? He might have knocked a couple of IQ points out of that guy.

[marktmurphy]

Here's Hari's report on the incident. He's a very talented writer who often talks a lot of sense, but on this occasion his words suggest that he behaved obnoxiously:

I am standing at the heart of the glittering glamour-dump of the BAFTA awards, and He is walking towards me. It is Bond. James Bond. His expression is an angry blank, because he has just gunned down dozens of Armenian bomb-makers. (Or perhaps because he has failed to win the Best Actor award). I was sitting almost directly above him when the award slipped from his bloody grasp barely an hour ago, and he offered a forced hard handclap, each meeting of his hands representing another small fracture in his heart. I knew then Our Time had come. What Daniel Craig needs now to comfort him, I declared to the people sitting in the Royal Opera House with me, is the love of a fat homosexual. "Daniel!" I cry as he strides along the corridor. He stares suddenly with his shimmering blue eyes. I smile. He does not. "Oh Daniel," I ask with a sigh. "Why didn't you wear your little blue speedos? Maybe you would have won then." He stares at me. Is it? Can it be? Love? "You're a ing fool," he says, and walks away with an angry frown.

"There's no need to play hard to get Daniel! I'm yours!" I cry after him. But he is gone.

http://www.johannhari.com/index.php

Eek- I almost feel for that Hari chap; sounds like what he wanted to be a friendly little gag was misjudged rather badly. Then again... on the other hand; perhaps it was quite a stupid thing to say. Hmm.

Oh well, either way I end up rather respecting Craig for not putting on heirs and graces- why should he hide the fact that all of the quips annoyed him? I really don't think it had anything to do with not winning- he is a grown-up, after all- but all the same you don't need it rubbed in like that.
A bit like the whole squirting-Tom Cruise-with-water actually made me respect his reaction; you should be allowed to get pissed off if people do nasty things to you; I'm glad he didn't try to keep up the Hollywood pretence.

[tigerheart]

Whatever Mr Hari's intentions, surely as an intelligent person he might just have twigged that after hearing the same old joke umpteen times in the space of an evening, making it yet again to the butt of said joke might not be the best opening gambit....

Thanks to Loomis for posting the link to the full article - still not sure after two reads whether I'm meant to find it funny or just very pretentious...

[dodge]

The comparison with Russell Crowe above is apt. Craig and Crowe are both serious actors and neither one suffers fools gladly. Without having seen the incident on film, none of us can pass judgment: did Craig really sit through the proceedings with a surly, bitter expression? I don't buy that, really, from what I've learned of him so far. But I can easily buy his being embarrassed, even ticked, at being reduced in a not-funny joke to a well-hung slab of beef. He may have handled the journalist better--who would have liked nothing better than being 'handled' by him. Still, maybe we expect too much. Crowe was justly censured for giving 'bad phone' to a creep hotel employee. His career has been in rehab ever since. Sure, he needs to lighten up. But he and Craig are intense men. Do they have to be slick, witty glad-handers for us...always in complete control...always gracious, always beaming? We never asked that from Brando or DeNiro. So why them?

[Double-0-7]

The actor portraying Bond never gets respect for the efforts. All the positive reviews and praise over the last 3 months probably raised his expectations too much. So I can definitely see why he'd be very upset.

[Royal Dalton]

Hari's a New Labourite twerp. Danny should have clocked him one.

[Eva]

Hari's a New Labourite twerp. Danny should have clocked him one.

Agreed!

I'm sure anyone would be fed up if they'd put in a great performance for the whole 2 hours 20 minutes and all you hear about all night at an awards ceremony is a few seconds in your blue swim trunks!
This guy was probably just the last straw on what had been building up all evening.

[Auric64]

I watched the whole BAFTA programme and, during it, there were numerous shots of Craig sitting in the audience. I don`t remember any shots showing him looking upset that attention was focused on him. In fact, he offered a wry smile at Ross` comments about his physique.

When Whitaker`s name was announced, Craig was seen smiling and clapping as the victor went up to collect the award

Since the beginning of the Oscars in 1927/8, every actor/producer/director/technician that didn`t win the award in their field, must have felt deflated. That`s human nature. Craig, I`m sure, felt no different. I`m sure Whitaker would have been equally deflated had Craig or one of the other actors won, and I think it`s a bit nieve of Hari to think that Craig would think otherwise.

With all the ribbing Craig has had, over that rising from the sea/honed physique shot in CR, I bet we`ll never see a sequence like that again, in any of the future Bond films starring Daniel Craig.

I wouldn`t be surprised if Craig never goes shirtless again in a Bond film.

Best

Andy

Edited by Auric64, 13 February 2007 - 05:07 PM.

[Jim]

Johann Hari does write some of the most po-faced PC drivel, but on this occasion, if this is anything like an accurate report, I'm afraid Mr Craig appears to have been a bit of a prat.

Oh well; actors - all very highly strung, or should be.

[dodge]

I watched the whole BAFTA programme and, during it, there were numerous shots of Craig sitting in the audience. I don`t remember any shots showing him looking upset that attention was focused on him. In fact, he offered a wry smile at Ross` comments about his physique.

When Whitaker`s name was announced, Craig was seen smiling and clapping as the victor went up to collect the award

Since the beginning of the Oscars in 1927/8, every actor/producer/director/technician that didn`t win the award in their field, must have felt deflated. That`s human nature. Craig, I`m sure, felt no different. I`m sure Whitaker would have been equally deflated had Craig or one of the other actors won, and I think it`s a bit nieve of Hari to think that Craig would think otherwise.

With all the ribbing Craig has had, over that rising from the sea/honed physique shot in CR, I bet we`ll never see a sequence like that again, in any of the future Bond films starring Daniel Craig.

I wouldn`t be surprised if Craig never goes shirtless again in a Bond film.

Best

Andy

Thanks for the needed perspective from someone who actually watched the whole show. It's amazing how these things get blown out of proportion: a fleeting expression of natural disappointment becomes a lingering look of resentment or rage. Craig'll probably steer clear of swim trunks for a while. But business is business and I feel confident he'll do the right thing--and at least partially strip for the sake of his more lustful fans.

[Jeff007]

Congrats for not hitting him, Craig. Dummy.

[K1Bond007]

This is all rubbish to me.

This would have been news (and cool news at that) had Craig punched the guy.

[kneelbeforezod]

As Auric64 said, Craig seemed totally good humoured throughout the entire ceremony. And the idea of him being furious he didn't win is definitely rubbish, he would have known better than anyone that his chances were slim.

Craig is a pretty dry guy, I can imagine him saying what he said in a pretty throwaway manner, without it meaning he was in a furious rage.

And the journalist sounds like a bit of a dick, to be frank.

[Four Aces]

Daniel should have beat the guy up. I would have.

[NATO Sub]

Daniel should have beat the guy up. I would have.

If the journo had walked up to anyone in similar circumstances in a less public location he would undoubtedly and deservedly been given a good punch in the face.

[lafemmefantome]

Well I'm hoping I'll have a chance to watch the BAFTAs on Bravo or maybe they'll repeat? Anyways, I guess you could say I would take Daniel's side in this. Everyone has a limit (myself included) and what I find rather amusing and ridiculous is that this journalist is the one who provoked him with the comment. Then when he doesn't get the "oh ha ha" cmment he wants but something else indeed, he runs and "cries" to his newspaper.

Personally if Daniel had clocked him, I'd have been on the sidelines selling tickets!

lafemme

[Loomis]

this journalist is the one who provoked him with the comment. Then when he doesn't get the "oh ha ha" cmment he wants but something else indeed, he runs and "cries" to his newspaper.

Exactly.

[dodge]

Have a look at Johann Hari and you'll know the truth in an instant.

Keyword search on Google: Johann + Hari.
Proceed to "About me."

Straight or gay, male or female, ask yourself one question: 'If this geek blimp approached me with "Hey, rub it on me, baby!"...how would I react?'

[Roebuck]

the idea of him being furious he didn't win is definitely rubbish, he would have known better than anyone that his chances were slim.

Becoming the only actor to be nominated for a BAFTA for playing James Bond was probably more than he ever expected. Craig was up against four top class actors who had far meatier scripts to work from.

And whether it's fair or not, his performance in Casino Royale will be being enjoyed long after we've forgotten this year's other nominated films.

[dinovelvet]

Eeesh...so the upshot of this "article" is that Daniel Craig may have been in a bad mood at some point last Sunday? How scandalous.

Now, anyone want to talk about Bond in another thread, or what?