Daniel Craig

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Daniel Craig

Craig in Venice during the filming of Casino Royale.
Birth name Daniel Wroughton Craig
Born March 2, 1968 (age 38)
Chester, England
Height 5'11" (180cm) [4]
Notable roles James Bond - Casino Royale

Daniel Wroughton Craig [1] (born 2 March 1968 [2]) is an English actor best known as the sixth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series from EON Productions. He made his screen debut as the character on 14 November 2006, to critical acclaim [3].

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Craig was born in Chester, England, the son of Timothy James Craig, a steel erector and sometime merchant seaman, and Olivia Craig (née Williams), an art teacher. He was brought up in Frodsham, near Chester, and then Hoylake on the Wirral (near Liverpool). Here, he attended Hilbre High School and played for Hoylake Rugby Club [4]. Craig moved to London when he was sixteen to join the National Youth Theatre. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1991, and his first major leading role on screen was a co-starring part in the 1996 BBC Television serial Our Friends in the North.

[edit] Career

Following an introduction to international audiences as Angelina Jolie's rival and love interest in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), he honed his acting skills in the United States in Sam Mendes' movie Road to Perdition (2002), with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. Craig played Connor Rooney, the son of an Irish mob boss (played by Newman) and a conniving murderer who hides behind his mobster father's shadow. Other leading film roles have included Layer Cake (2004) with Sienna Miller, Sword of Honour (2001), Sylvia (2003) with Gwyneth Paltrow, Enduring Love (2004) with Rhys Ifans and Steven Spielberg's Munich in 2005.

In 2006, after completing work on Casino Royale (see below), Craig moved on to portraying the character of Lord Asriel in the forthcoming film adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel His Dark Materials: Northern Lights.[5] In a stage version of the book this role had previously been played by Timothy Dalton, one of Craig's predecessors in the role of James Bond.

[edit] James Bond

Promotional photo of Daniel Craig as James Bond and Bond girls Vesper Lynd played by Eva Green (left) and Solange played by Caterina Murino (right).
Enlarge
Promotional photo of Daniel Craig as James Bond and Bond girls Vesper Lynd played by Eva Green (left) and Solange played by Caterina Murino (right).

As early as February 2005, Craig had been named in the media as a possible James Bond. On April 6, 2005, Craig was reported to have been signed by EON Productions as part of a three-film contract worth £15 million,[6] however this news was later debunked by the BBC,[7] who contacted EON for an official report. According to Craig, MGM offered him the role but the Broccoli family never got in touch with him.

Finally, on 14 October 2005, Craig signed a three-film contract, with the first, Casino Royale, released on November 16, 2006. Craig is the first actor to step into the role who was born after the first Bond film, Dr. No, was released and after the death of Bond creator Ian Fleming.

Craig's hiring as James Bond was controversial among some fans and critics, with some vocal fans threatening a boycott of the film,[8] going so far as to set up a website,[9] which has been accused of distributing misinformation.[10] Those who oppose Craig as Bond cite a number of factors, ranging from his height (at 5'11", he is shorter than all the previous Bond actors by at least two inches), to the fact he is blond while Ian Fleming's Bond is dark, which led to some media outlets referring to him as "James Blond". A widely circulated report on several news channels and newspapers asserted that Craig lost two teeth filming a fight scene; Craig later said it was just a crown that had come loose. Producer Barbara Broccoli also denied other rumours in an interview with Variety.

Media coverage of the controversy resulted in numerous actors publicly voicing their support of Craig. Most notably, four of the five previous actors who portrayed Bond—Timothy Dalton, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan—called his casting a good decision. Clive Owen, who had been linked to the role, has also spoken in defence of Craig.[11] In a recent interview with The Globe and Mail, Brosnan was asked "What do you think of the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, and will you be watching Casino Royale?", he replied "I'm looking forward to it like we're all looking forward to it. Daniel Craig is a great actor and he's going to do a fantastic job".[12]

As production of Casino Royale reached its conclusion, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that pre-production work had already begun on the 22nd Bond film. After several months of speculation as to the release date, Wilson and Broccoli officially announced on 20 July 2006 that the film, currently known only as Bond 22, will be released on 7 November 2008 and that Craig has been signed to play Bond, with an option for a third film.[13]

The film was critically praised. It received a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 7.9/10. Of 174 reviews, 94% were positive. Several critics have said that Craig is the most believable and charismatic Bond since Sean Connery.[14] CNN reporter Jeanne Moos apologised on air for criticising Craig before the film was released, and proclaimed that she was now a fan.[15]

[edit] Personal life

Craig was previously married to British actress Fiona Loudon. They had one child together, Ella, who was born in 1992. [16]He is currently dating twenty-nine year old film producer, Satsuki Mitchell. [17].

[edit] Selected filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Bond 22 James Bond Pre-production
2007 His Dark Materials: Northern Lights Lord Asriel Filming
aka The Golden Compass
The Invasion Ben
2006 I, Lucifer Lucifer Pre-production
Casino Royale James Bond
Infamous Perry Smith
2005 Munich Steve
Archangel Fluke Kelso Television drama
Fateless American Soldier
The Jacket Rudy Mackenzie
2004 Layer Cake XXXX
Enduring Love Joe
2003 Sylvia Ted Hughes
The Mother Darren
2002 Ten Minutes Older: The Cello Cecil
Road to Perdition Connor Rooney
2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Alex West
2000 Some Voices Ray
I Dreamed of Africa Declan Fielding
1998 Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon George Dyer
Love and Rage
(Liebe und Leidenschaft)		 Cathal Black
Elizabeth John Ballard
1997 Obsession John McHale
1996 The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders James "Jemmy" Seagrave Television drama
Our Friends in the North George "Geordie" Peacock Television drama
1995 A Kid in King Arthur's Court Master Kane
1993 Sharpe's Eagle Lt. Berry Television drama
1992 The Power of One Sgt. Botha

[edit] References

  1. ^ GRO Birth Registration Index. Ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ 'Best Bond ever' vanquishes his greatest foe - the critics. The Times (2006-11-15). Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ Craig lands role in Pullman film. BBC News Online (2006-08-18). Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
  6. ^ Daniel Craig picked for Bond. Guardian Unlimited (2005-04-06). Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
  7. ^ Bond bosses silent on actor Craig. BBC News Online (2005-04-06). Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
  8. ^ Boycott Casino Royale!. Retrieved on November 20, 2006.
  9. ^ DanielCraigIsNotBond.com home of the casino royale boycott. Retrieved on November 20, 2006.
  10. ^ Phil Gerrard Talks CraigNotBondNotCom. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
  11. ^ Owen backs 'proper actor' as Bond. BBC News Online (2006-09-19). Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
  12. ^ Pierce Brosnan answers. The Globe and Mail (2006-09-14). Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
  13. ^ [3]
  14. ^ Casino Royale (2006). Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed on November 29, 2006
  15. ^ Apologies to 007
  16. ^ Royale Family. Daily Record (2006-11-07). Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
  17. ^ Gwin, Scott. Daniel Craig Talks Bond, Love And Looking Pretty, Retrieved on November 28, 2006
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