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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].
****
Birth name Daniel
Wroughton Craig
Born March 2, 1968
(age 38)
Chester, England
Height 5'11"
(180cm) [4]
Notable roles James
Bond - Casino Royale
****
Biography
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
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.
James Bond
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 defense 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]
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
7.9/10. 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]
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].
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
References
-
^ GRO Birth Registration Index.
Ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
-
^ [1]
-
^ 'Best Bond ever' vanquishes his greatest
foe - the critics. The Times (2006-11-15).
Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
-
^ [2]
-
^ Craig lands role in Pullman film. BBC News
Online (2006-08-18). Retrieved on
2006-08-19.
-
^ Daniel Craig picked for Bond. Guardian
Unlimited (2005-04-06). Retrieved on
2006-08-20.
-
^ Bond bosses silent on actor Craig. BBC
News Online (2005-04-06). Retrieved on
2006-08-20.
-
^ 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
2006-09-19.
-
^ Pierce Brosnan answers. The Globe and Mail
(2006-09-14). Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
-
^ [3]
-
^ Casino Royale (2006). Rotten Tomatoes.
Accessed on November 29, 2006
-
^ Apologies to 007
-
^ Royale Family. Daily Record (2006-11-07).
Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
-
^ Gwin, Scott. Daniel Craig Talks Bond, Love
And Looking Pretty, Retrieved on November
28, 2006
****
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