Daniel Craig Admits He Took Tomb Raider Role Just for the Paycheck
Daniel Craig opens up about his decision to join Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, revealing he was driven by financial reasons rather than passion for the project. He later described it as the biggest misstep of his career.
Daniel Craig’s career after playing James Bond has been nothing short of impressive, putting him in the running to rival Sean Connery as the most successful 007 alum. While George Lazenby faded from the spotlight and Roger Moore leaned on his Bond persona for years, Craig has carved out a unique path. Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton have had their moments, but their time as Bond remains their career highlight. Craig, on the other hand, has earned three Golden Globe nominations for his performances in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series and Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, giving him the freedom to take on riskier roles thanks to the financial security Bond provided.
Despite only appearing in a couple of films outside of his iconic roles as Bond, Benoit Blanc, or William Lee over the past decade, Craig’s post-Bond prospects look bright. He may not reach Connery’s legendary status, but he’s got the talent and drive to make a strong case. Before his Bond days, though, Craig was still finding his footing in Hollywood. His breakout came with 2004’s Layer Cake, after gaining attention on TV in Our Friends in the North and a supporting role in Road to Perdition. But it was his first major lead in a feature film that really set things in motion.
Early Blockbuster Experience
That momentum didn’t start with his first foray into big-budget movies. Three years before Layer Cake, Craig played Alex West in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The film, starring Angelina Jolie, broke records as the highest-grossing video game adaptation and the top-earning action movie led by a woman at the time. Yet, the film’s success didn’t mean much to Craig personally. When asked by Phase 9 what drew him to the role, he was refreshingly blunt:
“Money!”
He didn’t stop there, adding,
“I also like going to the cinema and having popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, the lot, while watching some big Hollywood movie. So it was an opportunity to be a part of that, and it was a good movie for what it was, but that kind of film does not turn me on.”
Looking Back with Regret
With the benefit of hindsight, Craig has been even more candid about his feelings toward Tomb Raider. He’s since called it the
“worst mistake”
of his career, making it clear that the paycheck was the main draw. For Craig, the experience was more about being part of a Hollywood spectacle than any real passion for the genre or the project itself. Hopefully, the compensation made up for the regret he later expressed.