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Daniel Craig is the sixth actor to portray James Bond, starting with Casino Royale.

After 18 long months of speculation for a successor to Pierce Brosnan, it was announced that he had the role on the HMS President in London on October 14, 2005. Craig admits he found out that he was playing Bond in a Baltimore Supermarket. Barbra Broccoli called him and simple said "Over to you, kiddo." He then reportedly got drunk.

The choice of Craig was controversial when announced in 2005, and many initially didn't agree with the producers, although Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton publicly supported the decision. Despite some doubts from fans at first, Craig's performance as the super-agent in Casino Royale earned him critical acclaim from critics and fans alike.

Appears in:

• Casino Royale
• Quantum of Solace
• Skyfall
  

Biography:

He was born 2 March 1968 in Chester, Cheshire, England. He was brought up in Liverpool and moved to London when he was 16 to join the National Youth Theatre, later landing a spot at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Daniel's movie career began with The Power of One in 1992, and he later gained recognition with the hit TV series Our Friends in the North in 1996. Later credits include the 2002 Sam Mendes movie Road to Perdition with Tom Hanks, Sylvia with Gwyneth Paltrow, and Enduring Love with Rhys Ifans. He starred in Layer Cake in 2004.

Classic Lines:

- BOND: (after killing Dryden) "Yes, considerably." (Casino Royale)

- BOND: "Three measures of gordons, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shaken over ice and add a thin slice of lemon." (Casino Royale)

- (Bond sits down) LE CHIFFRE: "You changed your shirt, Mr. Bond. I hope our little game isn't causing you to perspire..."
BOND: "A little. But I won't consider myself to be in any trouble until I start weeping blood." (Casino(Casino Royale)

- BOND (after narrowly escaping death from poison): "Oh, I'm sorry. That last hand, nearly killed me." (Casino Royale)

- BOND (being tortured): "I've got a little itch, down there. Would you mind?" (Le Chiffre whips him again)
BOND: "No! No! No! No! To the right! To the right!" (Le Chiffre whips him again)
BOND: "Aaghh! Yes! Aarrgh! Yes! Yes! Yes. Now the whole world's gonna know that you died scratching my balls!" (Casino Royale)

- BOND: "Excuse me?" (dumps an unconscious Camille in mans arms) "Thank you. She's seasick." (Quantum of Solace)

- BOND (into QUANTUM earpiece): "Can I offer an opinion? I really think you people should find a better place to meet." (Quantum of Solace)

- BOND: "I never left". (Quantum of Solace)

- BOND: "007 reporting for duty."
M: "Where the Hell have you been?"
BOND: "Enjoying death."
(Skyfall)

- SEVERINE: "How much do you know about fear?"
BOND: "All of it."
SEVERINE: "Not like this, not like him!"
(Skyfall)

- BOND: "Everybody needs a hobby."
SILVA: "So what's yours?"
BOND: "Resurrection."
(Skyfall)


Trivia:

• His middle name is Wroughton.

Critical Acclaim:

• For his work in Casino Royale, Craig was nominated for a BAFTA award for best actor and he also won the best actor award at the Evening Standard British film awards - these are both firsts for an actor playing the part of James Bond.
• Previous Bond actor Roger Moore wrote; "Daniel Craig impressed me so greatly in his debut outing, Casino Royale, by introducing a more gritty, unrefined edge to the character that I thought Sean (Connery) might just have to move over. Craig's interpretation was like nothing we'd seen on screen before; he was earning his stripes and making mistakes. It was intriguing to see him being castigated by M, just like a naughty schoolboy would be by his headmaster. The script showed him as a vulnerable, troubled and flawed character. Quite the opposite to my Bond! Craig was, and is, very much the Bond Ian Fleming had described in the books - a ruthless killing machine. It was a Bond that the public wanted." Roger Moore was so impressed with Craigs 007 portrayal and the movie that he decided to get the Casino Royale DVD.
• Timothy Dalton said of Daniel Craig; "He's terrific! I think Casino Royale is a huge step forward - a leap forward. He got a lot of stick when he was doing it. There was a lot of negative press. He was criticized by people who didn't have a clue what was in the script or what he was going to look like in the film, which is deeply unfair. I said how wrong everybody was at the time because he's a very gifted actor. I'm pleased that the movie turned out as well as it did."
• Pierce Brosnan named Craig the best James Bond ever, saying: "Daniel Craig is the greatest Bond ever and deservedly so. He was a great choice."
• Sean Connery, while on an episode of The South Bank Show, gave his opinion of Craig's interpretation of Bond, calling him "Fantastic, marvelous in the part.", and that Craig "really gets the danger element" to the character.
  

Life After Bond:

Bond Stats: Martinis: 910 Kills: 12 (without Skyfall kills) "Bond, James Bond": 12 Women conquests: 34, possibly 5