Daniel Craig, the star of Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, has given some thoughts on the sexuality of his character, Detective Benoit Blanc. Speaking in a new interview with the NME alongside his co-star, Janelle Monáe – who plays Helen Brand in the film – the pair offered some insights into what promises to be one of the highlights of 2022.
In October this year, when speaking at the BFI London Film Festival, director Rian Johnson confirmed that Benoit Blanc is gay. The question about his sexuality was underpinned by a scene in Glass Onion that infers that the detective is living with another man.
Responding to whether that means he’s actually gay, Johnson said definitively: “Yes, he obviously is.” Then turning his attention to the actor who plays Blanc’s partner – whose identity is currently embargoed – Johnson expressed that “there’s nobody in the world I can imagine in bringing me more joy for Benoit Blanc to be with”.
Now, in the interview with NME, Craig was asked whether Blanc’s sexuality was something that had long been in place or whether it was something that emerged naturally. The former James Bond star explained: “It was something that seemed right. You know; look who he lives with – who wouldn’t want to live with that person?”
Monáe then revealed how challenging it has been to keep Glass Onion‘s many twists a secret. She said: “I don’t talk. My family are like, ‘What are you doing?’ and I’m like, ‘Don’t worry about it’ – because you don’t want to ruin the experience for them. You want the art to speak for itself.”
Craig chimed in: “The movie is very, very generous. If you go back and watch it again you’ll go, ‘OK, OK,’ and it will all connect up. That’s what Rian’s done so beautifully.”
Craig then gave some thoughts on the secret to Knives Out‘s success. He believes it’s the way that modern themes are blended with a “timeless” means of writing.
“Agatha Christie was writing in her time,” he opined. “If she were writing now, there would be tech billionaires, there would be these people in her stories. That’s what’s unusual about them – although they do have a timeless feel about them, they’re now and everything that’s being spoken about is about now.”
Read Best of Netflix‘s review of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery here.
