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Daniel Craig's advice to the next James Bond: 'Don't be s***'

Daniel Craig has poignant advice for the next actor who suits up as James Bond: don't suck.

Craig takes his final turn as the iconic character in No Time to Die, and the rumor mill has been churning for months about which star could (and should) reprise the role. The 53-year-old actor appeared on SiriusXM's Straight From the Hart where he was asked what he would say to his successor.

"There's a couple of things I'd say, but I mean, one is don't be s***," Craig quipped to Kevin Hart on Thursday's show. "I would say you've got to grab it and make it your own. I think that's the way to go forward. I mean, I just committed myself to it as much as I possibly could and tried to sort of elevate it as much as I could. I hope I've left it in a good place and I hope the next person can just make it fly."

Craig called the decades-long franchise "amazing," noting there are still "a lot of stories to tell."

Daniel Craig is asked who the next James Bond should be and what advice he would give the future actor. (Getty Images)
Daniel Craig is asked who the next James Bond should be and what advice he would give the future actor. (Getty Images)

"The great thing about the Bond movies over the years — they've always changed with the times. They've always reflected the politics, somewhat, and then reflected styles and fashion and music," he continued.

Craig, who has played the MI6 spy for 15 years, noted that as long as "movies like this" can be seen in theaters, "cinema has got a chance of surviving."

When asked who he thinks should step into the role, Craig quickly responded, "It's not my problem."

"I've got enough on my plate without having to figure that one out," he laughed. "That's a brain ache. I don't need that. Whoever it is, you know what, they'll find someone brilliant and it'll be great. And I'll be front and center. I'll be at the front seat of a cinema with my popcorn and a drink because I can't wait."

The actor has been asked the same question extensively during his press blitz for the No Time to Die and seems to be purposefully avoiding naming any specific actors. Craig gave candid thoughts, though, when discussing whether the lead should be a woman or an actor of color.

"The answer to that is very simple," Craig declared to Radio Times. "There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"

No Time to Die is in theaters now.