DANIEL CRAIG makes his first appearance as 007 agent James Bond of British Secret Service MI6 in CASINO ROYALE, the 21st film in the series, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and directed by Martin Campbell.
Craig was born in Chester, England, and brought up in Liverpool, leaving there to join the National Youth Theatre in London at the age of 17. He continued his training at the prestigious London Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1991.
He made his film debut in 1992 in the South African boxing drama The Power of One, but came to the attention of critics and casting directors in the much lauded 1996 television drama serial “Our Friends in the North,” playing the role of Geordie Peacock. In 1998, Craig played the role of George Dyer, painter Francis Bacon’s working-class boyfriend, in John Maybury’s powerful biopic Love is the Devil. In 2000, he was recognized as one of European Films’ “Shooting Stars.” This was followed by roles in the Hollywood blockbuster Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, in which he played Lara Croft’s boyfriend; the ensemble black comedy Hotel Splendide; and The Trench, written and directed by acclaimed author William Boyd.
In 2002, Craig starred in Sam Mendes’ film, Road to Perdition, receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of Connor Rooney, the troubled son of crime boss John Rooney, played by Paul Newman. The following year he starred in The Mother, a powerful drama directed by Roger Michell in which he played a young man who has an affair with a 60-year-old woman. This was followed by the role of Ted Hughes, starring opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, in Sylvia, the story of poets Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
In 2004, Craig took leading roles in Enduring Love directed by Roger Michell and adapted from Ian McEwan’s novel, and Layer Cake, Matthew Vaughn’s successful directorial debut about the contemporary criminal drug scene.
A role in John Maybury’s thriller The Jacket, starring alongside Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley, was followed by the lead in the television adaptation of Robert Harris’ bestselling novel “Archangel” and a leading role in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar®-nominated Munich. Craig played a South African mercenary, part of a team hand-picked by the Mossad to eliminate the terrorists whose attack at the 1972 Olympic Village resulted in the death of 11 Israeli athletes.
Recent film work includes Infamous, in which he played Perry Smith, opposite Toby Jones as Truman Capote (writer of the best-selling novel In Cold Blood based on the murders committed by Smith and Dick Hickock) and The Visiting, a horror thriller directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, in which Craig stars opposite Nicole Kidman.
In addition to his film work, Craig is acknowledged as a highly accomplished stage actor. His credits include leading roles in “Hurlyburly” with the Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic and “Angels in America” at the National Theatre. In 2002 he was nominated for a London Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for his performance in “A Number,” in which he played three roles and appeared opposite Michael Gambon.
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