Daniel Craig: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Sixth James Bond

Daniel Craig as James Bond gave us a memorable performance. Starting with Casino Royale (2006) to the latest No Time To Die (2021) he earned a nod of approval from long-time Bond fans. Some even went on to proclaim that Craig was the best Bond so far. We may not be seeing him as the iconic "007" spy anymore but Craig has many other films in the works already, including the sequel to the mystery-comedy, Knives Out. In fact, he will be in the third installment of Knives Out as well. He will also star in an action-packed film directed by Todd Field, The Creed of Violence as an assassin.

While we wait for more projects with Craig to be announced, here are some things you probably did not know about the 53-year-old actor.

1. He started his acting career in Shakespeare plays

After wrapping up with the James Bond franchise, Craig is going back to his roots. He will be starring in a new adaptation of Macbeth on Broadway alongside Ruth Negga. As a kid of 14, Craig was at Hilbre High School where he played roles in Oliver, Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella. At 16 he auditioned with the National Youth Theatre (NYT) and got accepted. There he debuted as Agamemnon in Shakespeare's Troilus And Cressida.

2. He is the first James Bond to be born after the series started 

The James Bond series was created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming who wrote twelve novels and two short-story collections. The first-ever Bond novel was Casino Royale which coincidentally was also Craig's first Bond movie although the book itself was adapted twice before this. The first screen James Bond was Sean Connery who starred in the movies from 1962 to 1967. Craig was born in 1968. The Bond preceding Craig, Pierce Brosnan was born in 1953.

3. His favorite Bond was Sean Connery

Craig really looked up to the first James Bond. He explained, “Sean Connery set and defined the character. He did something extraordinary with that role. He was bad, sexy, animalistic, and stylish, and it is because of him I am here today. I wanted Sean Connery’s approval and he sent me messages of support, which meant a lot to me.”

4. He studied acting with other notable actors

Craig studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1988 to 1991. During his time there, he was with other students who also went on to become notable actors. This included the likes of Damian Lewis of Homeland fame, Ewan McGregor best-known as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Joseph Fiennes who portrayed William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love and is also known for his role in The Handmaid's Tale.

5. He worked as a waiter

Much like many other actors and celebrities, before they made it big, they had it hard like the rest of us. Craig also worked in kitchens and as a waiter before finding success in acting. But his acting skill came into use there as well. He told NPR, "I didn't know at first, but yes, it does. It takes ... a persona, really. And you need a persona, I'm sure, as most waiters will tell you, just so you can ignore, you know, how rude people are a lot of the time. ... I was full-on silver service, bow ties and, had to do cocktails and do the whole thing. I did that for years."

6. He played rugby

Before he went into acting, Craig was an active rugby player. While he was acting in plays, he was also a sportsman. He played rugby union for Hoylake RFC. He is still a fan of the sport and in 2013 he even traveled to Australia to watch the British and Irish Lions tour. 

7. He was actually reluctant to play James Bond

After Brosnan retired from the role of Bond, the producers of the franchise had two actors they seriously considered to be the next Bond. One was Henry Cavill, who was passed over for being too young, and the other actor was Craig. Unlike most actors who would have jumped at the opportunity to play Bond, Craig was hesitant to take up the role. “There was a period of trying to woo him,” Barbara Broccoli recalled. “We had several meetings with him. We talked him through his concerns. He’s someone who’s very professional, and he throws himself into whatever he’s doing, and he understood it’d be a long commitment.”

8. He is the shortest James Bond

By no means is Craig considered a short man but when it comes to other actors who played Bond before him, he is comparatively shorter. At five-foot-ten, Craig is actually the shortest Bond in terms of height. Connery stood the tallest at six-foot-two. But as the iconic spy, Craig has had the longest run from 2006 to 2021, a total of 15 years.

9. There were only four guests at his wedding

Daniel Craig is married to Rachel Weisz best known for her role in The Mummy and co-starred in the Dream House with Craig. The two can be considered superstars in their own right. But their wedding was unconventional and had none of the grandiose that would be the norm of two actors of their stature. The couple dated for six months before marrying each other in 2011. They married in New York with four people present, two of them were family friends who also served as their witnesses and then their two children.

10. He was in Star Wars

Craig is a big sci-fi fan and had expressed his desire to appear in one of the Star Trek movies or the TV show. He said it was a secret ambition of his. But what he did manage to do was to feature in one of the Star Wars movies. He had a cameo as a stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It is, however, an uncredited role that Craig even tried denying in the past.