Unconventional Pre-Game Prep for Intimacy

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Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey Open Up About Preparing for Sex Scenes in ‘Queer’

Actors Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey have discussed their preparation for the sex scenes in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film ‘Queer’, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

Craig and Starkey described the process as "dancing with someone" and said they started rehearsals months before filming began. "Dancing with someone is a great ice-breaker," Craig explained. "There’s nothing intimate about filming a sex scene on a movie set. There’s a room full of people watching you. We just wanted to make it as touching and real and as natural as we possibly could."

Starkey credited movement coordinators Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot for helping them get into character. "They really opened doors for us," he said. "I’m not a dancer, Daniel’s definitely not a dancer. We found our limits."

The Film’s Romanticism

Guadagnino, the director of ‘Queer’, discussed the film’s romanticism, saying, "The joy was the starting point for me. I was 17 when I read the book, a megalomaniac dreaming of building worlds through cinema. The vivid imagination of this writer, the profound connection that he was describing on the page, the complete lack of judgment of the way these characters were behaving, the romanticism of the idea of adventure – this transformed me and changed me forever."

Guadagnino aims to leave the audience with a sense of self, asking, "Who are you when you are alone? Who are you when you are along in that bed, and you are left with the feeling of how you have felt for someone else?"

James Bond’s Desire

During the press conference, Craig was asked if there could ever be a gay James Bond. Guadagnino jumped in, saying, "Guys, let’s be adults in the room for a second. There is no way around the fact that nobody could ever know James Bond’s desires. Period. The important thing is that he does his missions properly."

Conclusion

‘Queer’ debuts in Competition in Venice this evening and will later head to North America, screening in Toronto on September 9 and at the New York Film Festival on October 6.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the film ‘Queer’ about?
  • The film is based on William S. Burroughs’ short novel of the same name, following an American expat in Mexico City who becomes infatuated with a young man and goes on a journey into the forest in search of a mythical drug.
• What is the tone of the film?
  • The film’s director, Luca Guadagnino, aims to capture a sense of romanticism and freedom, exploring the characters’ emotions and desires in a non-judgmental way.
• What was the preparation process like for the sex scenes?
  • Actors Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey described the process as "dancing with someone" and started rehearsals months before filming began, focusing on making the scenes feel natural and real.