Daniel Craig
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| Daniel Craig | |
 Craig in Venice during the filming of Casino Royale. |
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| Birth name | Unknown |
| Born | March 2, 1968 (age 39) Tapiwa, Chiwawa |
| Notable roles | James Bond in Casino Royale (2006) Steve in Munich (2005) XXXX in Layer Cake (2004) |
Daniel Wroughton Craig [1] (born 2 March 1968 [2] in Chester, England) is a BAFTA-nominated 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 debut as the character on 14 November 2006, in the 21st official Bond film, Casino Royale, to much critical acclaim [3].
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Craig was born in Chester, England, the son of Timothy John Wroughton Craig, who served as a Midshipman in the Merchant Navy and worked in various occupations when he came ashore; and Olivia Craig ('Carol' née Williams), an art teacher. He was brought up in Frodsham where his father was landlord of the 'Ring 'O Bells and The Boot in Willington, 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. He continued his relationship with the BBC starring in the 1997 Francis Bacon biopic Love is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon portraying Bacon's jilted lover George Dyer.
[edit] Career
Following an introduction to international audiences as Angelina Jolie's rival and love interest in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), he continued his career 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 playing James Bond in 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: The Golden Compass.[5] Eva Green, who played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale will also star in the film. 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.
In early 2007, Craig expressed an interest in being a part of the Star Trek franchise, professing his love of the series to the World Entertainment News Network and a desire to have a "stint in the TV show or a film. It's been a secret ambition of mine for years." [6] On March 16 2007, Craig made a cameo appearance as himself in a sketch with Catherine Tate who appeared in the guise of her character Elaine Figgis from The Catherine Tate Show. The sketch was made for the BBC Red Nose Day fundraising programme of 2007.
[edit] James Bond (2005–present)
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,[7] however this news was later debunked by the BBC,[8] 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 23 October 2005, Craig signed a three-film contract, with the first, Casino Royale, released on November 14, 2006. Craig is the first actor to step into the role who was born after the first Bond film, Dr. No, was released. Craig is also the first Bond to be hired after the death of Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli, who died in 1996.
Craig's hiring as James Bond was controversial among some fans and critics, with some vocal fans threatening a boycott of the film,[9] going so far as to set up a website,[10] .[11] However, signs of disapproval decreased after Casino Royale was released, gaining him praises that outnumbered his criticisms; his realistic and more humane portrayal of Bond, as well as his acting techniques, are the main factor of the audiences' change of minds.
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.[12] 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".[13]
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 follow-up 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.[14]
Despite the controversy at the time of the announcement of Craig's appointment, the film and Craig's performance in it has been widely critically praised. It received a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 7.8/10. Of 193 reviews, 94% were positive. Several critics have said that Craig is the most believable and charismatic Bond since Sean Connery.[15] Craig has even earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor for his performance (January 2006), making him the first actor to garner such a nomination for his portrayal of James Bond.
On February 2, 2007, Craig became the first actor to win an award for the role of James Bond at the Evening Standard British Film Awards, garnering the Best Actor award.
Now Casino Royale is the 5th best selling Bond film of all time, falling behind Thunderball; Goldfinger; From Russia With Love;and Live and Let Die. [16]
[edit] Personal life
Craig was previously married to British actress Fiona Loudon. They had one child together, Ella, who was born in 1992. [17] He is currently dating thirty-one year-old film producer Satsuki Mitchell. [18]
[edit] Selected filmography
[edit] References
- ^ GRO Birth Registration Index. Ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved on November 25, 2006.
- ^ "Daniel Craig: Our Friend in MI6"
- ^ 'Best Bond ever' vanquishes his greatest foe - the critics. The Times (2006-11-15). Retrieved on November 15, 2006.
- ^ "A-Hoylake!"
- ^ Craig lands role in Pullman film. BBC News Online (2006-08-18). Retrieved on August 19, 2006.
- ^ Forget Matt Damon, Daniel Craig Wants To Be Kirk. SyFy Portal (2007-01-06). Retrieved on January 6, 2007.
- ^ Daniel Craig picked for Bond. Guardian Unlimited (2005-04-06). Retrieved on August 20, 2006.
- ^ Bond bosses silent on actor Craig. BBC News Online (2005-04-06). Retrieved on August 20, 2006.
- ^ Boycott Casino Royale!. Retrieved on November 20, 2006.
- ^ DanielCraigIsNotBond.com home of the casino royale boycott. Retrieved on November 20, 2006.
- ^ Phil Gerrard Talks CraigNotBondNotCom. Retrieved on August 1, 2006.
- ^ Owen backs 'proper actor' as Bond. BBC News Online (2006-09-19). Retrieved on September 19, 2006.
- ^ Pierce Brosnan answers. The Globe and Mail (2006-09-14). Retrieved on September 14, 2006.
- ^ "Campbell and Broccoli explain the shift from Brosnan to Craig, hints for Bond 22 plotlines"
- ^ Casino Royale (2006). Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed on November 29, 2006
- ^ Bond films. k1b0nd007. Retrieved on March 11, 2006.
- ^ Royale Family. Daily Record (2006-11-07). Retrieved on November 9, 2006.
- ^ Gwin, Scott. Daniel Craig Talks Bond, Love And Looking Pretty. Retrieved on November 28, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Daniel Craig at the Internet Movie Database
- Daniel Craig biography and credits at the BFI's Screenonline
- Daniel Craig at the Notable Names Database
| Preceded by Pierce Brosnan 1995–2002 |
James Bond actor 2006— |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| James Bond actors |
|---|
| Official - Sean Connery • George Lazenby • Roger Moore • Timothy Dalton • Pierce Brosnan • Daniel Craig Unofficial - Barry Nelson • David Niven • Sean Connery |
