Luca Guadagnino’s Queer marks Drew Starkey’s biggest film role yet, and the actor was admittedly nervous to work alongside the famed director — not to mention Daniel Craig.

Starkey’s breakout role was as the angry, scheming older brother to Madelyn Cline in Netflix’s Outer Banks, so joining the A24 film as the object of Craig’s desire and obsession was certainly a big change.

Daniel Craig (left) and Drew Starkey Queer Spotlight Gala Premiere, 62nd New York Film Festival. Photo: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

At the New York Film Festival premiere of Queer on Oct. 6, Starkey told reporters he was nervous for “every” scene in the film.

“All of them, every one,” he said, before clarifying that both he and Craig, 56, felt the same. “I think we were both nervous. We wanted to tell those stories.”

Queer is an adaptation of William Burroughs’ novel of the same name, and sees Craig star as William Lee, an alter-ego of Burroughs’, who develops an infatuation with young Eugene Allerton (Starkey) in a post-World War II Mexico City expatriate community.

Despite his nerves, Starkey said it was “incredible” to star alongside the James Bond actor, who offered him “a good bit of guidance.”

“He’s such a dream to work with. Such an amazing artist and he was the most giving actor I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

Craig was similarly full of praise for his costar on the red carpet, as he told reporters of Starkey, “I love him to death. He’s the best.”

Speaking to the role more generally, the British actor said it was “a challenge in all the right ways” to portray Burroughs’ William Lee,

“This is just a wonderful opportunity to play a really complex human being,” Craig said. “If I could get roles like this a couple of times in my life, I’ll be very happy.”

Along with his costar, another source of advice for Starkey was his Outer Banks friends, as he said the cast’s enduring bond is “an emotional thing.”

“We always give each other advice, we’re all kind of stumbling through this world together and we started together,” he said. “I love them. And we’ve grown so much over the course of the past couple years, so it’s very nice… I’m not walking through this alone. I have a lot of people helping me.”