| Craig at the Berlin premiere of Cowboys & Aliens, August 2011 | |
| Born | Daniel Wroughton Craig 2 March 1968 Chester, Cheshire, England |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse | Fiona Loudon (m. 1992–1994) Rachel Weisz (m. 2011–present) |
| Partner | Heike Makatsch (1994–2001) Satsuki Mitchell (2004–2010) |
| Children | Ella Craig |
Craig became well known internationally after he was cast as the sixth actor to portray fictional secret agent James Bond in the film series. He made his début as the character in the 2006 film, Casino Royale. He was critically acclaimed, and was nominated for a BAFTA award, for his portrayal in the film. He grew into other roles in films such as Defiance, Cowboys and Aliens, the upcoming English-language adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn.
Early life
Craig was born in Chester, Cheshire, England. His mother, Carol Olivia (née Williams), was an art teacher, and his father, Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was the landlord of the pubs "Ring o' Bells" (in Frodsham) and "The Boot Inn", and also served as a midshipman in the Merchant Navy.[4][5][6] Both of Craig's parents were of half Welsh descent.[7] He was brought up on the Wirral Peninsula,[8] and attended a primary school in Frodsham and Hoylake called Holy Trinity Primary School. He attended Hilbre High School in later years.[9] He began acting in school plays at age six.Craig moved to London when he was sixteen to join the National Youth Theatre after a stay at Calday.[6] He and his older sister, Lea, attended Hilbre High School and Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. He played for Hoylake Rugby Club.[10] He attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican and graduated in 1991 after three years of study under Colin McCormack.
James Bond: 2005–present
In 2005, Craig was contracted by EON Productions to portray James Bond. He stated that he "was aware of the challenges" of the James Bond franchise which he considers "a big machine" that "makes a lot of money". He aimed at bringing more "emotional depth" to the character.[11] Being born in 1968, Craig is the first actor to portray James Bond to have been born after the Bond series already started, and Ian Fleming, the novels' writer, had died.Significant controversy followed the decision, as it was doubted if the producers had made the right choice. Throughout the entire production period Internet campaigns expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott the film in protest.[12] Craig, unlike previous actors, was not considered by the protesters to fit the tall, dark, handsome image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed.[13] The Daily Mirror ran a front page news story critical of Craig, with the headline, "The Name's Bland – James Bland."[14]
Although the choice of Craig was controversial, numerous actors publicly voiced their support, most notably, four of the five actors who had previously portrayed Bond – Pierce Brosnan,[15] Timothy Dalton, Sean Connery, and Roger Moore – called his casting a good decision. Clive Owen, who had been linked to the role, also spoke in defence of Craig.[16]
The first film, Casino Royale, premièred on 14 November 2006 and grossed a total of US$594,239,066 worldwide, which makes the film the highest grossing Bond film to date.[17] After the film was released, Craig's performance was highly acclaimed.[18]
In 2006, Craig was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[22]
Craig describes his portrayal of Bond as an anti-hero: “The question I keep asking myself while playing the role is, ‘Am I the good guy or just a bad guy who works for the good side?’ Bond’s role, after all, is that of an assassin when you come down to it. I have never played a role in which someone’s dark side shouldn’t be explored. I don’t think it should be confusing by the end of the movie, but during the movie you should be questioning who he is.”[25] Craig also states that his favourite previous Bond actor was Sean Connery, but says, "I'd never copy somebody else. I would never do an impression of anybody else or try and improve on what they did. That would be a pointless exercise for me".[26] His favourite Bond film is From Russia with Love.[27] On a James Bond-centric episode of The South Bank Show, Connery divulged his thoughts on Craig's casting as Bond, whom he described as "fantastic, marvelous in the part." When he was told that Craig had taken particular note of his performances, Connery said that he was "flattered," and that Craig "really gets" the 'danger element' to Bond's character.[28]
On 19 April 2010, Craig's expected third Bond film (the 23rd overall in the series) was announced to have been suspended indefinitely due to the crippling debt and uncertain future of MGM.[29] However, both Craig and Sam Mendes hoped to resume work on the film soon. The film has since resumed and Craig will return as Bond once again,[30] with the film due for release on 9 November 2012.
Personal life
After his divorce, he was in a seven-year relationship with German actress Heike Makatsch, ending in 2001.[42] He subsequently dated film producer Satsuki Mitchell from 2004 until 2010.[43]
Craig and actress Rachel Weisz began dating in December 2010.[44] Craig and Weisz married on 22 June 2011[43][45] in a private New York ceremony, with only four guests in attendance, including Craig's 18-year-old daughter Ella, and Weisz's four-year-old son Henry.[46] Craig and Weisz had been friends for many years and had worked together on the movie Dream House (film) shortly before they began dating in late 2010.
In October 2008, Craig paid £4 million for an apartment near Regent's Park, London.[47] He is a Liverpool F.C. supporter
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