>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOLKS, FOLKS AND NEIGHBORS, FOLKS
MY FIRST GUEST IS AN ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "KNIVES OUT," "LOGAN
LUCKY," AND FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, JAMES BOND.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," DANIEL CRAIG!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: NO, NO.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: PLEASE, PLEASE, YOU'RE THE GUEST.
WON'T YOU PLEASE.
THANK YOU.
LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> I REALIZE I HAVEN'T BEEN IN FRONT OF VERY MANY AUDIENCES.
THIS IS-- IT'S QUITE OVERSTIMULATING THIS IS.
IT'S VERY, VERY NICE TO SEE YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: LAST TIME-- LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE WAS A FEW
MONTHS BEFORE COVID HIT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: IT WAS SOME TIME BACK IN THE FALL OF 2019.
>> WHEN WAS THAT.
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME AND PLACE.
>> HAPPIER TIME.
>> Stephen: I THINK-- I THINK YOUR LAST "BOND" MOVIE WAS ABOUT
TO COME OUT.
I THINK THAT'S-- >> OH, NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU HERE FOR THAT AND IT GOT CANCELED OR
SOMETHING?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
WE EVEN RAN A CLIP.
>> I DID A BUNCH OF PRESS AND THEN WE WENT NOPE.
>> Stephen: IT WAS A TWO-YEAR RELEASE AND CAME OUT.
HUGE HIT, OSCAR NOMINATIONS.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE AFTER 15 YEARS TO GO OUT WITH, SHALL WE
SAY, BANG?
>> LISTEN, THE WHOLE THING IS LIKE SO SURREAL IN SO MANY WAYS.
WHEN WE WERE RELEASING THE MOVIE, I WAS THINKING, WELL, I
MEAN, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER ANYMORE.
LISTEN, THE WORLD IS IN THIS TERRIBLE STATE.
AND EVENTUALLY WE ACTUALLY GOT IT OUT INTO THE CINEMAS AND
PEOPLE ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE IT AND CINEMAS OPEN AGAIN.
ALL OF THAT WAS A MASSIVE SUCCESS.
>> Stephen: IT DID MATTER, BECAUSE I THINK ART MATTERS.
>> FOR SURE.
>> Stephen: AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE ART THEY WANT
TO SEE AND THERE'S A SENSE OF NORMALCY TO SEE JAMES BOND UP
THERE.
>> I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
KICKING BUTT?
YOU SAID KICKING BUTT.
>> Stephen: I DID.
IS THAT AN AMERICAN TERM THE BRITS DON'T KNOW?
>> MAYBE.
>> Stephen: PUNCHING ARSE.
I DON'T KNOW.
( LAUGHTER )
TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
>> THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE.
>> Stephen: I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT MOVIE.
NOW, YOU RECENTLY RECEIVED-- YOU RECEIVED AN EXTRAORDINARY HONOR
THAT ALSO HAS GOT SORT OF A META-QUALITY TO IT, IS THAT THE
QUEEN, THE ACTUAL QUEEN, YOURS,
NOT BEYONCE.
( LAUGHTER )
GOT THIS RIGHT IT'S ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE.
>> C.M.G.
>> Stephen: THE COMMANDER OF MICHAEL AND GEORGE.
IS THAT WHAT THE "C" STANDS FOR.
>> NO, MICHAEL.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE "C" FOR?
>> COMPANION.
>> Stephen: OH, COMPANION OF MICHAEL AND GEORGE.
THAT SOUNDS NICE.
IT'S THE SAME ORDER THAT JAMES BOND HAS.
IT'S THE SAME HONOR THAT-- >> YES, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: THAT JAMES BOND HAS.
>> IN THE STORIES.
HE GETS A C.M.G., AND THEN IS AWARDED-- OFFER HIM K.C.M.G.,
WHICH IS A KNIGHTHOOD, BUT HE REJECTS IT.
>> Stephen: HE REJECTS THE KNIGHTHOOD.
WERE YOU OFFERED THE KNIGHTHOOD?
>> OBVIOUSLY NOT NOW.
WHO KNOWS.
WHAT'S SO AMAZE ABOUT IT, IT'S INCREDIBLE, BUT I FEEL A SENSE
OF HUMOR ABOUT GIVING IT TO ME.
>> Stephen: IT'S NORMALLY GIVEN OUT TO DIPLOMATS AND
SPIES.
>> WELL...
( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: IS THERE-- IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO
TELL US, TELL US THAT THIS WHOLE TIME JAMES BOND WAS JUST A COVER
FOR YOUR REAL JOB?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC TO FIND OUT AT THE END
OF YOUR LIFE.
>> THAT WAS A 15-YEAR COVER, FIVE MOVIES.
I WENT DEEP.
>> Stephen: YES.
COMPLETELY IN CHARACTER.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT-- HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT?
LIKE-- FIRST OF ALL, HUE DO YOU FIND OUT?
IS IT LIKE HARRY POTTER IS AN OWL?
>> IT'S NOT THAT FAR OFF THAT.
YOU GET AN INQUIRY ABOUT SOMEBODY WANTING TO CALL YOU ON
A PERSONAL NUMBER DIS. YOU'RE LIKE, "WHO'S THAT?"
AND THEY SAY, "WE WON'T SAY."
YOU GIVE OUT A NUMBER AND ACTUALLY THE AMBASSADOR TO THE
UNITED STATES CALLED ME UP AND SAID, "WE'D LIKE TO OFFER IT TO
YOU."
I SAID,s, CAN I HAVE 24 HOURS TO THINK ABOUT IT?"
I DON'T KNOW WHY I SAID, THAT BUT I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED KIND OF
ADULT, YOU KNOW.
YOU-- COULD YOU GIVE ME 24 HOURS TO THINK ABOUT THAT?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: I'M WAITING FOR AN OFFER FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY?
>> I JUST FELT IT WAS THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO.
>> Stephen: AND SO-- WE ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU MET THE
QUEEN.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD HUNG OUT WITH HER MAJESTY, IF FOR NO
OTHER REASON THAN THIS FUNNY BIT YOU DID AT THE 2012 OLYMPICS
WHERE SHE HALO JUMPED INTO THE STADIUM.
>> SHE DID.
( APPLAUSE )
THAT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT I'M
GING TO ASK ANYWAY: WHAT'S SHE LIKE IN PRIVATE?
>> VERY FUNNY.
>> Stephen: REALLY.
>> VERY FUNNY.
WANTS TO CRACK A JOKE AND CRACK A JOKE ABOUT ME.
>> Stephen: CAN YOU SHARE THE JOKE?
>> YEAH, WE WERE HAVING OUR PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN, AND SHE SAID,
"NO, HE'S THE ONE THAT DOESN'T SMILE."
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
A NICE CRACK, THERE YOU GO.
WHAT ARE THE CORGIS LIKE IN PRIVATE JIEFS ROLLING AROUND ON
THE FLOOR WITH THEM MOST OF THE TIME.
THEY'RE JUST THERE, AND I THINK THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FOOTMEN.
>> Stephen: I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED.
>> NOT TO BE SURPRISED BY, THAT BUT SOMEBODY WAS LOOKING AFTER
THEM.
AND, YES, THEY'RE VERY FRIENDLY.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL ASK DANIEL WHETHER I SHOULD BE THE
NEXT BOND IT'S ANSWER IS YES.
♪ ♪ ♪