Drew Starkey on Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ and Working with Daniel Craig

Outer Banks star Drew Starkey recently shared his experiences filming opposite Daniel Craig in the upcoming period romance drama Queer, directed by Luca Guadagnino. Starkey praised Craig’s dedication and versatility, describing him as “game for anything” and reflecting on the opportunity to work with a director he greatly admires.

Speaking with fellow co-star and alt-pop/R&B musician Omar Apollo for Interview magazine, Starkey offered behind-the-scenes insights into the shoot. He described the process of automated dialogue replacement (ADR) for the sex scenes with Craig as particularly entertaining. “It’s always exertion and breaths and groans,” Starkey explained. “Just you in a booth alone doing that, you feel like you’re in an insane asylum.”

The North Carolina native, who initially gained recognition portraying the manipulative Rafe on Netflix’s Outer Banks, called his experience on Queer a filmmaking masterclass. Guadagnino was one of his dream directors, and acting alongside Craig felt like a culmination of his training. Starkey remarked that working with Craig made him feel he could disregard all his years of acting school.

“[Craig is] so good at every aspect of his craft, just homed in every day,” Starkey said. He described Craig as a dedicated and unconventional actor, adding, “He’s absolutely incredible in this film. He’s very vulnerable, and he doesn’t care about anyone’s opinion. He’s the most punk person. He’s up for anything.”

During the two and a half months of filming, Starkey underwent a significant physical transformation, losing 30 pounds for his role—a change so drastic that Guadagnino asked him to regain some weight. Additionally, Starkey’s character required the use of makeup to emphasize “feminine features,” adding another layer of transformation.

Reflecting on his portrayal, Starkey admitted it was a challenging balancing act. “It felt like a delicate high-wire act,” he said. “If you step too far in one direction, it goes off-kilter. If you step too far in the other, it’s completely off.”

Set in 1950s Mexico City and based on the novel by William S. Burroughs, Queer follows Lee (played by Craig), an American ex-pat living a solitary life. The arrival of young student Eugene Allerton (played by Starkey) disrupts Lee’s life and drives him to pursue Eugene.

Starkey explained that his character does not engage in much dialogue and working with Craig helped him convey Eugene’s emotions non-verbally. “Part of the allure of Allerton for Lee is not being able to define him,” Starkey noted. “That ambiguity is what makes him interesting. There’s constant speculation about whether he’s queer or not. Playing that ambiguity was enjoyable but initially tough, as most actors want something concrete.”

Last week, Deadline reported that Queer secured a distributor in A24, aiming for a year-end release to qualify for awards. The film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, with a North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Guadagnino reunites with Challengers writer Justin Kuritzkes for this project.

Source: Interview Magazine, Deadline