OUTER Banks star Drew Starkey has revealed that he and James Bond actor Daniel Craig were up for anything while shooting the steamy sex scenes in their new film, Queer.
Queer, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, is helmed by Luca Guadagnino, director of such films as Call Me By Your Name and Challengers.
Starkey, 30, plays Eugene Allerton, a young student in 1950s Mexico City who American expat William Lee, portrayed by Daniel Craig, 56, becomes infatuated.
In Indiewire’s review of the film, reporter Ryan Lattanzio stated that Queer has “the most explicit gay sex scenes” that he could recall being included in a mainstream movie.
“You treat it like you would any other thing,” Starkey replied when questioned about filming the “steamy scenes” in an interview with Variety.
He continued, “Obviously, you’re more precious with it and you communicate more on the day about people’s comfort levels. But Daniel and I were just game for anything.
“We just were like, ‘Let’s go for it, let’s have fun.'”
Continuing his praise of Craig, The Other Zoey actor added, “So he was a great partner to have in that. I think him and I share that same mentality of just not giving a s**t.”
Starkey provided insight on Guadagnino’s perspective as well, stating that the director “was so specific” and that he wanted the actors “to be as comfortable as possible throughout that process.
“We would block off where these intimate scenes would happen and we talked months in advance about what we thought it should be, he recalled.
Starkey concluded, “It was also like a dance. We were trying to figure it out. But those were some of the most fun days I think we all had on set – just Daniel and I laughing.”
While this is Starkey’s first major film role, Craig famously starred as British MI6 spy James Bond in five different Bond films.
Rachel Weisz stuns in navy gown as she steps out with husband Daniel Craig for Queer premiere in Venice
He has also appeared in such wide-ranging roles as criminal safe-cracker Joe Bang in Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky and a Nazi resistance fighter in Edward Zwick’s Defiance.
Craig has played a homosexual character in the past, appearing as private detective Benoit Blanc in Netflix’s Knives Out franchise.
COLD FEET
Queer premiered weeks after Joaquin Phoenix dropped out of Todd Haynes’s gay romance movie five days before filming was scheduled to begin.
According to a report, the Oscar-winning actor got “cold feet” before he was to begin production on the yet-to-be-named film.
You treat it like you would any other thing. Obviously, you’re more precious with it and you communicate more on the day about people’s comfort levels. But Daniel and I were just game for anything.
Drew Starkey
Joaquin, 49, had helped develop the film, which featured a detective love story, with the director as well as writer Jon Raymond.
However, according to Indie Wire, Joaquin stepped away from the movie despite an “entire set” being built in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The film, produced by Killer Films and backed by sales agent MK2 Film, relied on Joaquin’s casting and had already sold to international distributors ahead of production.
Joaquin’s exit has now put the project in peril.
The crew is now out of work, and stakeholders in the film still need to be paid. Losses could exceed seven figures, per Variety.
A source close to the production told the outlet that the actor got “cold feet.”
Last year, Todd teased the project as a “love story between two men set in the ’30s that has explicit sexual content.”
In July, Top Gun: Maverick star Danny Ramirez was cast as Joaquin’s love interest.
The film was rumored to be rated NC-17 and feature a relationship that would “challenge” audiences.
Speculation among the crew is that Joaquin’s sudden exit was due to the graphic nature of the film’s sex scenes, per Variety.
The “cold feet” speculation seems strange to some sources, however, as it was Joaquin who brought the project – along with its NC-17 concept – to the director in the first place.
When speaking with Variety in September 2023, Todd told the outlet that the film began with “fragments of ideas” from the Beau Is Afraid star, which the director transformed into “an actual narrative” before bringing Raymond on board.
“Basically it was just this wonderful, organic way to create the script,” he said before adding, “And Joaquin was pushing it further into more dangerous territory, sexually.”
The actor is not expected to return to the project, per IndieWire.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Joaquin and Todd’s reps for comment.
Killer Films is not yet looking to replace him and is currently focused on cutting checks for the professionals who invested their time in the project.
Killer Films had no comment for IndieWire.
RAVISHING RACHEL
On Tuesday, Rachel Weisz, 54, stunned in a navy gown while stepping out with her husband Daniel Craig for the Queer premiere in Venice.
Rachel’s famous former 007 husband, Daniel Craig, stars in Luca Guadagnino’s new film, Queer – based on William Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novella.
Daniel brought his beautiful wife Rachel as his date to the red carpet premiere.
She dazzled in a floor-length navy blue gown with sequin detail and accessorized with a dazzling diamond necklace.
The Favourite star positioned her highlighted locks to one side and accompanied her glam makeup look with a red lip.
Meanwhile, a cool-looking Daniel looked dapper in a cream suit and white shirt while rocking his longer locks and holding hands with his glamorous wife.
