Audiences were completely stunned when Oscar-winner Rami Malek revealed on live television that his co-star, Daniel Craig, had spontaneously and intensely kissed him during the production of the James Bond film, No Time to Die (2021). The story, told with playful relish by Malek on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, left the former 007 with nothing but a hearty, embarrassed laugh when exposed, cementing the hilarious tale as one of the best behind-the-scenes Bond moments.
The Scene: Complicated and Challenging
The confession came during Malek’s appearance in 2019, where he spoke enthusiastically about working with his “favorite Bond.” The intimate moment occurred after a particularly grueling session working on a complex scene for the film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Malek plays the villain Lyutsifer Safin, Bond’s final adversary in the Daniel Craig era. Malek recounted that he and Craig were sitting at a table for hours, batting ideas back and forth with the director, trying to “crack this really challenging scene.” When they finally figured out the difficult staging and dialogue, Craig’s relief and excitement were apparently overwhelming.
The “Forceful” Kiss and the Famous Quip
In a spontaneous burst of pure joy and professional camaraderie, Craig initiated the intimate moment. Malek described the scene: “And he grabbed me, picked me up—and I can’t tell who initiated the next moment, whether it was him or I—but a kiss transpired between the two of us. I’m going to say that Daniel initiated it, and I was very taken aback.” Malek confirmed to Colbert that the kiss was “very much so” welcome. In a moment of quick-witted brilliance that sent the audience into hysterics, Malek recovered from the shock and looked down at the role of James Bond, asking the question that instantly became a global meme: “So, does this make me a Bond girl now?”
Bond’s Reaction: I Kiss All My Leading Men
When the story was later put directly to Daniel Craig during his own media appearances, the usually reserved star was reduced to an embarrassed, chuckling smile and a shrug. Craig, always a friendly presence on set, joked that he “kisses all his leading men” and that the story had simply “got legs.” He later elaborated, “I kiss lots of people. It’s like, I’m a very friendly guy… I said I used to kiss Rami after the end of every scene. It’s like no big deal. Just spreading the love.” Malek quipped back that he would “just rush through scenes just to get to that moment that you would get kissed.”
A Final, Record-Breaking Film
The spontaneous kiss occurred on the set of No Time to Die, which marked Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond. The film was a critical and commercial phenomenon: it was the highest-grossing film of 2021 at the box office outside of the United States. The hilarious and unexpected moment of genuine male affection between the hero and the villain backstage underscored the deep, positive working relationship between the two stars, proving that even James Bond finds unique ways to celebrate cracking a tough scene.