Daniel Craig has some serious moves. If you didn’t know before, now you will, thanks to a new ad for Belvedere Vodka. Directed by Taika Waititi and released on November 9, the commercial features an elaborate dance sequence that showcases a different side of the James Bond actor.
Craig begins the commercial in black and white looking classically glamorous on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. However, as he walks through paparazzi, gets into a car and comes out the other side, he undergoes a complete transformation. The video is now in color and Craig wears a black leather jacket and sunglasses, which he quickly sheds. Then the fun begins.
With all the confidence in the world, Craig struts the lawn, dances his way into the ultra-luxe Cheval Blanc Hotel, and takes two steps like you’ve never seen before. He struts backwards through the revolving doors, bumping his hip into the elevator and snapping his fingers to the beat. (Fosse’s influence maybe? Just us?) After splashing through the psychedelic color-changing pool, Craig arrives at his final destination: the liquor cabinet. “Finally,” he says while taking a sip. Waititi herself also makes an appearance and is shown behind the scenes shouting “Cut”. “Let’s go again… just be yourself,” he says to Craig, who smiles, revealing tartars of his initials.
While you might assume Craig channeled his inner John Travolta to blast these moves, you might be surprised to hear that it was actually his nana that came to mind while filming. “When I did it, I thought about my nana. She was the voice in my head that said, ‘Motherton dressed as a lamb,'” he said The culture magazine of the Sunday Times. The actor also confirmed that his last word in the ad refers to the end of his Bond reign: “When I read the script I was like, ‘Hmm, really?’ Get the gag.”
No one can take credit for the energy Craig brings to the set, but if after watching you find yourself a huge admirer of Craig’s dance, choreographer JaQuel Knight is the person to thank persons. Waititi’s partner Rita Ora also reportedly helped with the upbeat soundtrack, as well as rapper Giggs.
“It’s just nice to do something that’s like, ‘Oh, is that the real Daniel? Maybe this is a different version of Daniel than we’ve ever seen?’” Waititi said GQ in an interview on November 9 about the production of the ad. “He was just great and he wasn’t cynical and he wasn’t reticent. He just leaned right in.” Watch Craig “lean” in full above and see him perform moves we didn’t even know he had.