Daniel Craig has admitted he felt 'physically and mentally under siege' when trying to cope with his newfound James Bond fame.
The actor, 53, became known around the world when he took over the role of 007 from Pierce Brosnan, making his first appearance as the spy in Casino Royale in 2005.
Speaking in Apple TV+ documentary Being James Bond, Daniel told how he was not prepared for the level of scrutiny that came with accepting the role.
Candid: Daniel Craig has admitted he felt 'physically and mentally under siege' when trying to cope with his newfound James Bond fame (pictured in Skyfall)
He said: 'My personal life was affected by being that famous all of a sudden. I used to lock myself in and close the curtains, I was in cloud cuckoo land. I was physically and mentally under siege.
'I didn't like the newfound level of fame. It was Hugh Jackman who helped me to come to terms with it and appreciate it.'
The film star was initially reluctant to accept the role, saying he wouldn't know what to do with it.
Daniel explained: 'As far as I was concerned I was already more successful than I would ever be as an actor — I did not have a cool persona.
Leading man: The actor, 53, became known around the world when he took over the role of 007 from Pierce Brosnan, making his first appearance as the spy in Casino Royale in 2005
'Pierce had done Remington Steele, Roger Moore had done The Saint — they had done these parts where people had gone, "That's James Bond".
'I had done weird arty movies. It was a harder sell. And I didn't really want to do it, because I thought I wouldn't know what to do with it. I was going to get the script, read it, and say, "Thanks but no".
He added: 'But little did I know, it was Casino Royale. The story was solid, the script was solid.'
However, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said she was determined to hire him: 'I always thought whenever he was on the screen you could not watch anyone else. He is lit from within. It was clear he is a movie star and a great actor to boot.'
