I was reluctant to play Bond, says Daniel Craig

London: James Bond star Daniel Craig has revealed that he was not really up for playing the world famous fictional government agent.

The 44-year-old says he could not understand why producers kept insisting he should do a screen test for the prestigious role. “I was very reluctant to say yes to Bond. I couldn’t quite understand why I was being asked. It was off my radar. It was a very nice offer but I thought they had the wrong guy. They were quite persistent,” Craig said on a taping of the Graham Norton Show in the UK. “I had to do an all-day screen test – a scene out of From Russia With Love – it was nerve wracking. I did that and then I had to take my shirt off for some odd reason – I don’t know what that was about,” he added. Craig was an instant hit in his first Bond film Casino Royale in 2006, winning legions of female fans as he emerged from the sea in a pair of tight swimming trunks, showing his manly frame. ANI