James Bond star Daniel Craig described filming a scene with the Queen for London 2012 as “an unbelievable affair”, while admitting the country will never see the late monarch again.
The world saw a more feisty side to the monarch when she made a cameo appearance in Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony for the Olympics.
In the comedy sketch, Craig, who played British spy 007, called Buckingham Palace to summon the Queen to the event.
Looking back: James Bond star Daniel Craig described filming a scene with the Queen for London 2012 as “an unbelievable thing”
The Queen, sitting at her desk, made him wait before greeting him with the words, “Good evening, Mr Bond.”
They walked together, along with some of her corgis, to a helicopter and took off, flying over London to the Olympic Stadium, ending with a stunt double from the Queen entering the arena.
Seconds later, the real Queen, dressed in the same peach-colored dress as the stunt double, entered the stadium to roaring applause.
Reflecting on his time filming with the Queen, 54-year-old Craig told the BBC at the Toronto International Film Festival: ‘What an incredible thing. We will never see her ilk again.
“To be alive during her reign is something else. (I am) very sad, so I suppose Charles will have great success.”
Old times: The world saw a more feisty side to the monarch when she made a cameo appearance in Danny Boyle’s Olympic Games opening ceremony (pictured)
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who co-wrote the Queen’s TV appearances with Paddington Bear and Daniel Craig, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Friday that the Queen had volunteered to join the Bond scene.
He said, ‘We went to the palace to ask permission to represent her and to know what she was wearing that day, and it was her great dresser that said, ‘No, no, she wants to be in it.’ She was a game and she was ready for that.
“On the day we were filming, she even asked Danny Boyle if she could have a line because there was no line in the script, probably because when I was typing the script I didn’t quite know how to type it.” character of the queen… what would you type?’
Fond memories: The actor reflected on their scene during a red carpet performance at Canada’s Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday (pictured)
Craig was at the Toronto International Film Festival at the world premiere of Glass Onion, the sequel to his hit film Knives Out.
Prior to her death during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the US on Wednesday, the former James Bond actor looked back on their meeting when he told the host how private she was.
Wanting to know what the monarch was like behind closed doors, Stephen, 58, asked, “I understand you may not be able to answer this question, but I’m going to ask anyway: How is she in private?”
Craig, remembering their time together, appearing ten years ago in the now infamous Olympic Games opening sketch sketch with the Queen, replied, “Very funny. Very funny’
‘[She] want to make a joke, and [she] made a joke about me. We had our pictures taken and she just said, ‘Oh no, he’s the one who isn’t smiling. Reasonable!’
Reminder: Craig recalls the joke the Queen made at his expense when they met during their 2012 Olympics skit with the star hailing her as “very funny”
He went on to describe what her beloved corgis were like and recall how much he enjoyed playing with the “friendly” dogs.
Craig explained, “I was rolling on the floor with them most of the time. I think they have their own lackeys, they are very friendly.’
The actor and Her Majesty filmed a hilarious scene for the opening ceremony, in which 007 accompanied the royal Bond girl to a helicopter.”
So sad: The country’s longest-reigning royal queen, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away ‘peacefully’ on Thursday at the age of 96 in Balmoral, Scotland
Chat: Prior to her death during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the US on Wednesday, Craig looked back at their meeting
Funny: “We had our pictures taken and she just said, ‘Oh no, he’s the one not smiling. Fair enough!” (pictured with the Queen at the Casino Royale premiere in 2006)
About the skit in 2012, he said, “It wasn’t supposed to be funny. It had to be serious.
“She was fun, incredible game. We were short on time and I was a bit grumpy because it was my day off and I’m suddenly in the palace with the queen in her private room.’
“And she improvises a little bit. She should have been sitting at the desk and she asked if she could write, so she pretended to write.’
Four-legged friends: Craig went on to describe what her beloved corgis (pictured) looked like and recall how he enjoyed playing with the “friendly” dogs
Recalling his interaction with the Queen, Craig shared a heartwarming tribute to her after her death.
In a statement to the PA news agency, the 007 actor paid tribute to the former monarch.
It read: ‘Like so many others, I was deeply saddened by today’s news and my thoughts are with the Royal Family, those she loved and all who loved her.
“She leaves an incomparable legacy and will be greatly missed.”
Rest in Peace: It comes as Britain today mourns the death of its beloved monarch, Queen Elizabeth II
Announcement: Buckingham Palace announced the sad news of the Queen’s death on Thursday