Biography of Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig was born on 2 March 1968 in Chester, Cheshire, England, is an English actor and film producer. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court and the television episodes Sharpe’s Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert. His breakthrough performances were in the films Layer Cake, Some Voices and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
His mother, Carol Olivia, 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. Both of Craig’s parents were of half Welsh descent. He was brought up in Liverpool and on the Wirral Peninsula, and attended a primary school in Frodsham and Hoylake called Holy Trinity Primary School. He began acting in school plays at age six.
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.
Craig moved to London when he was sixteen to join the National Youth Theatre after a stay at Calday. He and his older sister, Lea, attended Hilbre High School and Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. He played for Hoylake Rugby Club. He attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican and graduated in 1991 after three years of study under Colin McCormack.
Craig appeared as Joe in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America in November 1993. An early starring role was as ‘Geordie’ in the BBC’s 1996 drama Our Friends in the North, with early film roles being as Angelina Jolie’s rival and love interest in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), before appearing in Sam Mendes’s movie Road to Perdition (2002), with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. Other leading film roles include Sword of Honour (2001), The Mother (2003) with Anne Reid, Sylvia (2003) with Gwyneth Paltrow, Layer Cake (2004) with Sienna Miller, Enduring Love (2004) with Rhys Ifans, Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005) with Eric Bana, Infamous (2006), and The Golden Compass (2007). He recently starred in Defiance.
On 23 October 2005, Craig signed a five-film contract with 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. Being born in 1968, Craig is the first actor to portray James Bond to be born after the Bond series already started, and Ian Fleming, the novels’ writer, had died.
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. 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, with the film due for release on 9 November 2012.
In 1992, Craig married Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, with whom he has a daughter, Ella. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1994. After his divorce he was in a seven-year relationship with German actress Heike Makatsch. Until recently, he was in a relationship with film producer Satsuki Mitchell.
Craig had to quit smoking and hire a personal trainer to prepare for the role as James Bond.
In October 2008, Craig paid £4 million for an apartment near Regent’s Park, London. Craig is also a Liverpool F.C. supporter.