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Craig: 'Politicians Are Sh*theads & Backstabbers' also meets Cameron at Pinewood.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/daniel-craig-politicians-shitheads_n_1169851.html
As the star of two of the biggest movie franchises in the world, Daniel Craig's political endorsement would be a high profile coup. That being said, don't expect to see him stumping on a campaign trail anytime soon. As the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "James Bond" star tells Men's Journal, he is quite wary of politicians despite their frequent overtures to celebrities.
"Tony Blair started it much more than anybody's ever done. 'Go and have tea at 10 Downing Street,'" he said of the former British Prime Minister. "It becomes 'Mephisto,'" Craig continued, alluding to the famous book about an actor who ingratiates himself to Nazis in hope of winning a prized part.
"You immediately are aligning yourself with a political party. Politicians are sh*theads," Craig asserted. "That's how they become politicians, even the good ones. We're actors, we're artists, we're very nice to each other. They'll turn around and stab you in the f*cking back."
Blair was well-known for the regular celebrity guest list he entertained at his home. During his initial campaign in 1997, Blair cultivated support from and made appearances with some of the top British celebrities at the time, and continued the practice throughout his time in power. One the stars he met during the 1997 "Cool Britannia" campaign, Oasis's Noel Gallagher, later ripped Blair for being manipulative.
"The fact that a guy who'd been in a band, owned an electric guitar and has probably had a spliff was Prime Minister really meant something, after years of John Major and Margaret Thatcher. He just might be one of us," he told one interviewer (via the Daily Mail). "In hindsight, it turned out he was just a politician like all the rest. I was brought up as a Labour voter and it was euphoric when they got into power. I didn't realize it wasn't New Labour at all - it was the Tories dressed in red."
The intertwining of celebrity and politics is perhaps more prominent in the United States, where Hollywood participation reached record highs when, during the 2008 campaign, actors, musicians and other artists came out en force for then-Senator Barack Obama's campaign for president. Recently, one of the President's most prominent celebrity campaigners, Matt Damon, had harsh words of disappointment for Obama's time in office. In fact, Hollywood had a banner year in 2011 when it came to warring with politicians.
For his part, Craig thinks that it requires a certain mastery of issues and one's own tongue to make political statements as a celebrity, pointing to actor/activist George Clooney as an example of someone who has what it takes to do so.
"George has his finger on the political pulse, and he's one of those guys who can get up and talk, and I don't have that," he says. "If someone shoves a microphone in your face and says, 'Explain yourself,' you have to have a 100 percent understanding of why you're doing it, and unless you're 100 percent, don't f*cking do it, leave it alone, let your work speak for itself."
That isn't to say Craig doesn't have a political side. Having grown up in Liverpool amidst the poverty inflicted by Margaret Thatcher's spending cuts, he spent much of his time in leftist community theater, and still holds many of those values today. Incidentally, his step brother is a leading conservative economics leader and adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron.
Given Craig's no-nonsense straight talk, one might say he'd actually be a voter's dream, if he ever decides to run. Safe to say that won't be happening any time soon. He will, however, be perhaps serving the nation of Britain as James Bond for years and years to come.
As the star of two of the biggest movie franchises in the world, Daniel Craig's political endorsement would be a high profile coup. That being said, don't expect to see him stumping on a campaign trail anytime soon. As the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "James Bond" star tells Men's Journal, he is quite wary of politicians despite their frequent overtures to celebrities.
"Tony Blair started it much more than anybody's ever done. 'Go and have tea at 10 Downing Street,'" he said of the former British Prime Minister. "It becomes 'Mephisto,'" Craig continued, alluding to the famous book about an actor who ingratiates himself to Nazis in hope of winning a prized part.
"You immediately are aligning yourself with a political party. Politicians are sh*theads," Craig asserted. "That's how they become politicians, even the good ones. We're actors, we're artists, we're very nice to each other. They'll turn around and stab you in the f*cking back."
Blair was well-known for the regular celebrity guest list he entertained at his home. During his initial campaign in 1997, Blair cultivated support from and made appearances with some of the top British celebrities at the time, and continued the practice throughout his time in power. One the stars he met during the 1997 "Cool Britannia" campaign, Oasis's Noel Gallagher, later ripped Blair for being manipulative.
"The fact that a guy who'd been in a band, owned an electric guitar and has probably had a spliff was Prime Minister really meant something, after years of John Major and Margaret Thatcher. He just might be one of us," he told one interviewer (via the Daily Mail). "In hindsight, it turned out he was just a politician like all the rest. I was brought up as a Labour voter and it was euphoric when they got into power. I didn't realize it wasn't New Labour at all - it was the Tories dressed in red."
The intertwining of celebrity and politics is perhaps more prominent in the United States, where Hollywood participation reached record highs when, during the 2008 campaign, actors, musicians and other artists came out en force for then-Senator Barack Obama's campaign for president. Recently, one of the President's most prominent celebrity campaigners, Matt Damon, had harsh words of disappointment for Obama's time in office. In fact, Hollywood had a banner year in 2011 when it came to warring with politicians.
For his part, Craig thinks that it requires a certain mastery of issues and one's own tongue to make political statements as a celebrity, pointing to actor/activist George Clooney as an example of someone who has what it takes to do so.
"George has his finger on the political pulse, and he's one of those guys who can get up and talk, and I don't have that," he says. "If someone shoves a microphone in your face and says, 'Explain yourself,' you have to have a 100 percent understanding of why you're doing it, and unless you're 100 percent, don't f*cking do it, leave it alone, let your work speak for itself."
That isn't to say Craig doesn't have a political side. Having grown up in Liverpool amidst the poverty inflicted by Margaret Thatcher's spending cuts, he spent much of his time in leftist community theater, and still holds many of those values today. Incidentally, his step brother is a leading conservative economics leader and adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron.
Given Craig's no-nonsense straight talk, one might say he'd actually be a voter's dream, if he ever decides to run. Safe to say that won't be happening any time soon. He will, however, be perhaps serving the nation of Britain as James Bond for years and years to come.
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Comments
liberty and freedom of choice are dead...
i would hate to quote George Lucas right on anything, but the line in Revenge Of The Sith has become absolutely 100% true......
"So this is how liberty dies?... with thunderous applause."
Still dropping the f-bombs though. He loves his f-bombs.
Sadly that's the one thing that urks me a little bit about Mr Craig.
I know he's a "regular guy" but I just don't think there's any need to swear like that in interviews - to me it just sounds like he's showing off a bit. I suppose it's just because I don't swear that much normally.
Exactly. We all swear sometimes. I swear like a sailor when life kicks me in the face, it is a natural thing. Dan is a great man, and does a great job in his professional and personal life of commending himself. He never does anything unjust, so who cares if he swears at times? It is a natural reflex when you are angry or letting your feelings out, which he clearly was in this interview.
As I said, I don't swear much so there you go.
The guy swears like a 19 year old rock n' roll yob. And actually from my experience, most persons don't swear at all. It generally doesn't endear you to people, once you are beyond youthful male-bonding drinking gatherings.
Craig is a very odd dude.
Dan isn't odd. Here is one example: The great talent that is Matt Damon. He swears, yes, more so than Dan, but does that make him weird or any less of a great actor? Hell no.
ummm...there is a rather prissy side to you. Didnt you object to Judi Denchs' M swearing on another thread?
You cant object to what he actually says though?
Oh I don't object to what he says - he's right but I suppose most people know politicians aren't exactly angels.
Haha, I suppose there is a prissy side :-S Maybe thats a result of my Surrey upbringing :p
Then again two of my favourite films are Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction - both filled with F-Bombs :-))
Getting angry is only part of human nature, it's how individuals control it that's maybe more important. Someone once said that life is 10 per cent of what occurs and 90 per cent of how one reacts to it
Quite
I wonder how hilarious our M would be like swearing.
O well...
What utter bollocks.
If Nu Labour are Tories, then they're a disgrace to Thatcher's legacy. If anything, Blair, Brown and Cameron are just a bunch of clones of Heath.
Thanks for posting that. It's a great interview that i'd never seen before, until now. :) Looking at the comments, there was one that stood out:
posted by: miapatagonia
Another great Timothy interview. He's always so charming and articulate. I think Cubby Boccoli always had a yen for Dalton, and there seems to be great mutual respect between them.
Btw, that's Robert Davi sitting with Talisa Soto. I had the pleasure of sitting in the first class section en route to Jamaica with Davi a couple of years ago. He's a class act, and a family man too. He brought his 5 kids and lovely wife with him!
And what's in bold, is how i've always thought it was between Dalton and Cubby.