Daniel Wroughton Craig(born 2 March
1968)is an
English actor. Craig trained at theNational
Youth Theatreand graduated from theGuildhall
School of
Music and Dramain
1991, before beginning his career on stage
. His film debut was in the dramaThe
Power of One(
1992). Other early appearances were in the
Disney family filmA Kid in
King Arthur's
Court(
1995) and the biographical filmElizabeth(
1998), as well as in the historical war drama television seriesSharpe's
Eagle(
1993) and the action-adventure drama seriesZorro .
Cast as the fictional
British secret agentJames
Bondin October 2005, his first film in the role,
Casino Royale , was released internationally in
November 2006. Craig's appearances in the
British television filmLove Is the
Devil:
Study for a
Portrait of
Francis Bacon(1998), the indie war filmThe Trench(
1999), and the dramaSome
Voices(
2000) attracted the film industry's attention. This led to roles in bigger productions such as the action filmLara Croft:
Tomb Raider(
2001), the crime thrillerRoad to Perdition(
2002), the crime thrillerLayer
Cake(2004), and theSteven Spielberghistorical dramaMunich(
2005). Craig achieved international fame when chosen as the sixth actor to play the role ofIan
Fleming 's
James Bond in the official film series, taking over fromPierce Brosnanin 2005. Although his casting was initially greeted with scepticism, his debut was highly acclaimed and earned him aBAFTA awardnomination, withCasino Royalebecoming the highest-grossing in the series at the time.
Quantum of Solacefollowed two years later.Craig's third
Bond film,
Skyfall , premiered in
2012 and is currently the highest-grossing film in the series, as well as thehighest-grossing film in the UKand thetwelfth-highest-grossing film of all time .Craig's fourth Bond film,
Spectre , premiered in
2015. In
2006, he joined theAcademy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Since taking the role of
Bond, he has continued to star in other films, including the
World War II filmDefiance(2008), science fiction WesternCowboys &
Aliens(
2010), and the
English-language adaptation ofStieg Larsson 's mystery thrillerThe
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo(
2011). Craig also made a guest appearance as Bond in theopening ceremonyof theLondon
2012 Olympic Games , alongsideQueen
Elizabeth II .Craig was born inChester ,
Cheshire. His mother,
Carol Olivia ( néeWilliams), was an art teacher, and his father,
Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was the landlord of the pubs
Ring o'
Bells inFrodsham , Cheshire and the
Boot Inn inTarporley , Cheshire, having served as amidshipmanin theMerchant
Navy . Both of Craig's parents were of part
Welsh descent. He also has distant
French Huguenot ancestry.HuguenotministerDaniel Chamieris among his ancestors, as isSir
William Burnaby, 1st
Baronet . Craig's middle name, Wroughton, comes from his great-great-grandmother
Grace Matilda Wroughton. Raised on theWirral Peninsula , Craig attended primary school in
Frodsham andHoylake ,
Merseyside.
Later, he attendedHilbre
High SchoolinWest
Kirby , Merseyside, along with his older sister Lea (born
1965), after failing hisEleven plus . When his parents divorced, Craig and his sister lived with their mother, moving toLiverpool . Upon finishing his compulsory secondary school education at the age of 16, he briefly joinedCalday
Grange Grammar Schoolas asixth formstudent. He played rugby union forHoylake
RFC . Craig began acting in school plays at the age of six, and was introduced to serious acting by attending theEveryman Theatrein nearby
Liverpool city centre with his mother. At the age of 16, Craig was admitted to theNational
Youth Theatre , leaving school and moving to
London, where he worked part-time in restaurants to finance his training. Later on, after multiple attempts at auditioning for drama schools, he was accepted at theGuildhall School of Music and Dramaat the Barbican, where he graduated in 1991 after three years of study underColin McCormack . In Craig's first screen role, he played anAfrikanerinThe
Power of
Onein 1992. He then appeared as Joe in theRoyal
National Theatre 's production ofTony Kushner 'sAngels in Americain
November 1993. Also in 1993, Craig was featured in an episode ofYorkshire
Television 'sHeartbeat , which aired
31 October 1993. An early starring role was as '
Geordie' in the
BBC's 1996 dramaOur
Friends in the
North , with early film roles being asAngelina
Jolie 's rival and love interest inLara Croft: Tomb Raider(2001), before appearing inSam
Mendes'smovieRoad to Perdition(20
- published: 24 Jul 2016
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