Daniel Craig has this reservation while playing James Bond 

Daniel Craig played the iconic MI6 agent James Bond in five films. The actor however recently opened up about his biggest apprehension of stepping into the suave spy and said the he had problems with the societal expectations of the character tied to masculinity.

"I would say one of my biggest reservations about playing [Bond] would be the construct of masculinity," Daniel said during a recent event while promoting his latest film Queer by Luca Guadagnino. "It was often very laughable, but you can't mock it and expect it to work. You have to buy into it," he added.

Daniel also noted that his understanding of masculinity, which was essential to playing Bond, felt limiting at times. He explained how societal norms surrounding male behaviour were a challenge, "We're all vulnerable. It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter how tough you are, everybody's vulnerable," he said, adding, “But it's how boys are brought up, how men are expected to behave, how someone like Burroughs was expected to behave.”

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Daniel plays a queer man in his latest film Queer which is set in 1950s Mexico City. The film, based on William S Burroughs' novella, delves into themes of human vulnerability and desire. Daniel also noted that he could never have taken on such a role during his time as Bond.

"Listen, [Bond] is nearly 20 years of my life. When I took it on, I was one person. I'm now a completely different person," he explained, adding, "But I couldn't have done this movie when I was doing Bond. It would've felt kind of, 'Why? What are you trying to prove?'"

As he reflects on his 15 years long Bond career, Daniel revealed that there he feels a sense of liberation post-Bond. Having become a global superstar through the role, he now enjoys the freedom of taking on projects outside the shadow of 007.

As per Deadline, he also spoke about losing the "freedom" he had as a semi-anonymous actor before James Bond catapulted him to global stardom. Daniel, who first portrayed James Bond in the 2006 hit Casino Royale, went on to appear as the British secret agent in Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).

While playing the famous spy became a defining moment of his career, he has over the years repeatedly spoken about stepping away from the franchise.

In Queer, he plays a character struggling with personal isolation and romantic turmoil, a stark contrast to his action-packed portrayal of Bond. The film, set against the backdrop of Mexico City's vibrant yet challenging society, also explores themes of identity, desire, and emotional turmoil.