- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Daniel Craig denies badmouthing the Kardashians
- Date: 13th December 2011
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANIEL CRAIG, ON CRITICISING THE KARDASHIANS, SAYING: REPORTER: "Can I just ask you one question about the Kardashians. You said something in GQ about them..." CRAIG: "What did I say?" REPORTER: "That you didn't like that they put their private life on public (display)." CRAIG: "Did I say that? About the Kardashians?" REPORTER: "Yes. Didn't you?" CRAIG: "I don't think I did, no." REPORTER: "In GQ." CRAIG: "No, no re-read the quote." (SMILING AND WALKING AWAY)
- Embargoed: 28th December 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA8UQ7UC2SAY9ZZ5W8ZCXN530XK
- Story Text: Daniel Craig says he didn't criticise reality tv show family the Kardashians, at the world premiere for the much-anticipated Hollywood version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" in London.
British actor Daniel Craig denies saying anything critical of the Kardashian family, at the world premiere of his latest movie "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" in London on Monday (December 12).
It's the English language adaptation of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's first installment of his popular Millennium thriller series, with tales of avenging sexual violence against women.
Directed by "The Social Network", "Fight Club" and "Se7en" director David Fincher, his version stars Rooney Mara as a young computer hacker helping a journalist (Daniel Craig) crack a case of a missing woman and is one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year.
The movie is amongst a slew of Hollywood blockbusters in the run-up to the Christmas period and the kick off to awards season.
"Dragon Tattoo" was named one of the American Film Institute's (AFI) top ten films of the year on Sunday (December 11).
But Craig says he doesn't think about accolades.
"You can't get your head around that sort of stuff. It just drives you a bit insane. So I don't really think about it very much," he told Reuters Television on the red carpet, adding that an Oscar statuette has never been a part of his career goal.
The January 2012 edition of British GQ features Craig on the front cover, talking both about "Dragon Tattoo" and the upcoming Bond film "Skyfall". The article has been controversial for his quotes about reality stars the Kardashians, saying: 'What, you mean all I have to do is behave like a f***ing idiot on television and then you'll pay me millions?' I'm not judging it." He pauses. "Well I am obviously. I'm probably going to get visited by people from New Jersey."
But at the premiere, when confronted with badmouthing the much-watched reality star clan, Craig said: "I don't think I did, no."
Relative newcomer Mara, 26, plays the star-making role of the mohawked and pierced research assistant and she talks about why Salander's character has become one of the most popular anti-heroines of 21st century.
"I think that everyone can relate to that feeling of being misunderstood or outcast. Everyone at some point in their life can relate to people who are in a position of power, abusing that power over them and I think a lot of people really want to see her succeed," she said.
The publicity machine has put the actress through her paces, appearing in several fashion magazines and articles being touted as "the next big thing".
Her performance in the movie has also been lauded by journalists, especially as she only starred in a few scenes at the beginning and end of Fincher's "The Social Network", playing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's ex-girlfriend.
When asked whether her more famous co-star Daniel Craig offered her any advice about the movie business, even Mara admitted: "No but he better now because I'm probably going to need it."
Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, who's starred in "Mamma Mia!", "Good Will Hunting" and "Melancholia," said while the Millennium books have been a sense of pride for Swedes, it's not the best literature to come out of the Nordic country.
"I mean, every Swede is very proud that it has had such enormous success all over the world. I don't think it's the most important literature produced in Sweden, I don't think it's the most important export product yet, but it could become. But it's something that all Swedes are very happy about that it happened," he said.
The Millennium books have sold tens of millions of books in more than 40 countries worldwide. But author Larsson died aged 50 in 2004 of a heart attack, before he saw the global sensation of his novels.
"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" opens in theatres in the United States on December 21, with worldwide cinema rollouts to follow. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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