Jason Isaacs Reveals How Natural It Was to Kiss Daniel Craig In “Angels In America”
The White Lotus star Jason Isaacs has never been shy about baring it all on screen. But long before he was dropping jaws with his silk robe antics, the 62-year-old actor was getting up close and personal with a young Daniel Craig on the London stage.
“And then I kissed Daniel and he was so easy with it. And then I was easy with it and we were really easy with each other’s bodies and I thought, oh, it’s just that,” Isaacs revealed during a recent chat on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner’s On Me podcast.
When Harry Potter Met James Bond
Back in 1993, Isaacs and a then-25-year-old Craig starred opposite each other in Tony Kushner’s Angels In America at London’s National Theatre. The Tony-winning production examines the AIDS epidemic through intersecting lives in 1980s New York. Isaacs played Louis, a man who abandons his partner after an AIDS diagnosis, while Craig portrayed Joe, a closeted Mormon discovering his sexuality.
The intimate scenes were demanding. “We had a lot of sex,” Isaacs joked, admitting he was initially nervous about the physical requirements of the role.
jason isaacs shirtless, pic.twitter.com/Js8ebP9RuI
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The Art of Stage Intimacy
What struck Isaacs most was Craig’s complete comfort with nudity. “He was the perfect [James] Bond because he’s the only person I’ve ever met who is maybe more comfortable naked than he is dressed,” Isaacs explained. “He’s very easy in his body.”
The actors spent an hour lying naked under sheets every night during the run. But their behind-the-scenes antics kept things light. “We used to pinch each other’s bits under the sheets to make each other laugh,” Isaacs confessed.
There were practical challenges too. “I used to drag him to showers to make him shave because I got a stubble rash off him,” Isaacs recalled of Craig’s scruff.
Craig’s Continued Comfort with Intimacy
Craig’s ease with same-sex scenes continues today. His recent performance in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer opposite Drew Starkey demonstrates the same natural approach Isaacs witnessed decades ago.
“I feel like the physical act is the least interesting thing,” Craig told Entertainment Weekly about his Queer scenes. “We’re all grown-ups. This is what people do. But the only thing that’s interesting is the emotional journey of each character.”
Both actors have come a long way since their National Theatre days. Craig went on to redefine James Bond across five films, while Isaacs has become a fixture in both blockbusters and prestige television.
But their early collaboration in Angels In America remains a testament to professional intimacy done right. Sometimes the most memorable partnerships happen when actors can simply be themselves, bodies and all.
