The director Luca Guadagnino has an exceptional talent for choosing leading men. In the past year, he took Josh O’Connor on a complex journey through sex, betrayal, and tennis in “Challengers,” written by Justin Kuritzkes. Additionally, he led Daniel Craig on an emotional exploration in “Queer,” based on William Burroughs’ short novel. O’Connor and Craig, both renowned for their portrayals of iconic Brits - O’Connor as Prince Charles in “The Crown” and Craig in the five most recent James Bond movies - spent the previous summer working on the next installment of Netflix’s “Knives Out” franchise, “Wake Up Dead Man,” which will be available on the platform next year.

Uncover the Intricacies of Luca Guadagnino's Leading Men

Meeting Luca Guadagnino

Josh O’Connor first met Luca Guadagnino at his favorite hotel in London, Claridge’s. He received a text from their friend Jonathan Anderson inviting him for lunch and mistakenly thought it was just with Jonathan. Daniel Craig, on the other hand, met Luca at a party in Rome, overlooking the Colosseum, about 10 years ago or more.

These initial meetings set the stage for their collaborative journeys with Luca. O’Connor was living in New York with no friends when the “Challengers” opportunity came along. Craig had been in talks with Luca through his agent, Bryan Lourd, who didn't think Craig would take the role. But Craig seemingly said yes to anything.

The “Challengers” Experience

O’Connor was initially hesitant about the characters in “Challengers” as he didn't see himself in them. However, he was drawn to the script and read it. He then had a friend date with Justin Kuritzkes, who had written the feature film script. At first, Luca wasn't involved. But as they prepared for the project, O’Connor faced intense training, doing two to three hours of training and tennis each day. He initially thought tennis would be easy but soon realized the physical demands.

Despite the challenges, O’Connor loved the experience and had a great time. It was a different kind of journey for him compared to his usual work.

“Queer” and the Italian Atmosphere

Craig described the “Queer” project as a total masterpiece. He felt that working with Luca created a brilliant chaos on set but also absolute focus. The Italian and Sicilian atmosphere was liberating for a tight-arsed Englishman. The character he played in “Queer” was multifaceted and multilayered, with Craig throwing himself into the role.

O’Connor agreed, noting that the character was deeply insecure yet walked around with confidence, highlighting the artifice of masculinity.

The Intimacy Scenes in “Challengers”

O’Connor shared that the intimacy scenes in “Challengers” were the least sexy but the most vulnerable. He and Mike Faist got the giggles during a kissing scene with Zendaya. Craig emphasized the importance of playing the truth in sex scenes and not making them gratuitous.

They both understood that the scenes should serve the story and not just be about getting people naked.

Working on “Wake Up Dead Man”

This summer, O’Connor and Craig worked on “Wake Up Dead Man” and had an intense experience on the film set. They were in each other's pockets for three months, especially O’Connor and Craig. The trailers for the movie were exceptional, and O’Connor spent a lot of time knocking on Craig's door.

They also discussed the success of their previous movies in theaters and the importance of the theatrical experience.

Craig expressed his joy in seeing families go to the cinema and have a collective experience. O’Connor agreed, emphasizing the unique nature of watching a movie in a cinema.