Daniel Craig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Commander Daniel Craig CMG RN
Craig in 2024
Born	Daniel Wroughton Craig (1968-03-02) 2 March 1968 (age 57) Chester, Cheshire, England
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actor producer
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Fiona Loudon ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1994)​ Rachel Weisz ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list
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Daniel Wroughton Craig (born March 2, 1968) is a famous English actor. He is best known for playing the secret agent James Bond in five movies. For his acting, he has won several awards and has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Craig trained at the National Youth Theatre in London. He graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1991. He started his career acting on stage. His first big movie role was in The Power of One (1992). He became well-known in the United Kingdom for the TV show Our Friends in the North (1996).

He gained more fame in movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Road to Perdition (2002), and Munich (2005). In 2006, he became a global star as James Bond in Casino Royale. He played Bond again in Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).

Craig also starred as the detective Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out movies. His other films include The Golden Compass (2007) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011).

Early Life and School

Daniel Wroughton Craig was born on March 2, 1968, in Chester, England. His mother, Carol, was an art teacher. His father, Timothy, worked in the Merchant Navy and later owned pubs. Craig has an older sister named Lea.

After his parents divorced in 1972, Craig and his sister moved with their mother. He went to primary school in Hoylake. He later attended Hilbre High School. At age 16, he went to Calday Grange Grammar School. He also played rugby union for a local team.

Craig started acting in school plays when he was six years old. He loved watching plays at the Everyman Theatre with his mother. At 14, he acted in school productions of Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella.

In 1984, he joined the National Youth Theatre and moved to London. To pay for his education, he worked in restaurants. He later studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and graduated in 1991.

Acting Career

1992–2005: Early Roles

Craig with producer Michael G. Wilson in June 2006, while filming Casino Royale

Craig's first movie role was in 1992 in The Power of One. He then had small parts in several TV shows. In 1996, he had his breakthrough role in the BBC show Our Friends in the North. This role made him a well-known actor in Britain.

In 1998, he appeared in the movie Elizabeth. He played John Ballard, a priest who was part of a plot against Queen Elizabeth I of England. The next year, he starred in the war film The Trench, which was set during World War I.

In 2001, Craig played the love interest of Angelina Jolie's character in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The movie was a box office hit. In 2002, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Paul Newman in the crime film Road to Perdition.

He starred in the crime thriller Layer Cake in 2004. Critics praised his performance. In 2005, he had a supporting role in Munich, a film directed by Steven Spielberg.

2006–2021: Becoming James Bond

Craig at the Quantum of Solace premiere in New York in November 2008

In 2005, Craig was chosen to be the new James Bond. Some fans were unhappy because he had blond hair and was not as tall as previous Bond actors. They even threatened to boycott the movie. However, many actors, including four former Bonds, supported him.

His first Bond film, Casino Royale, came out in 2006. It was a huge success and became the highest-grossing Bond film at the time. Critics loved Craig's performance, saying he brought more emotion to the character.

Besides Bond, Craig starred in other movies. In 2007, he played Lord Asriel in The Golden Compass. In 2008, he starred in the war film Defiance. He played the leader of a group that saved 1,200 people during World War II.

A wax statue of Craig as James Bond at Madame Tussauds in London

In 2011, he starred in Cowboys & Aliens with Harrison Ford and played a journalist in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

His third Bond film, Skyfall, was released in 2012. It was even more successful than Casino Royale. That same year, he appeared as James Bond in a short film for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, where he escorted Queen Elizabeth II.

Craig's fourth Bond film was Spectre (2015). In 2019, he starred as detective Benoit Blanc in the mystery film Knives Out. The movie was a hit, and he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

His fifth and final Bond film, No Time to Die, was released in 2021. Before the movie's release, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2022–present: After Bond

In 2022, Craig returned to the stage to star in a production of Macbeth on Broadway. He also played detective Benoit Blanc again in Glass Onion, the sequel to Knives Out.

In 2024, he starred in the film Queer. Critics praised his performance. Craig is set to star in a third Benoit Blanc film titled Wake Up Dead Man.

Charity Work

Craig is involved with many charities. In 2007, he took part in the Comic Relief fundraiser, which raised over $90 million. He supports S.A.F.E. Kenya, a charity that uses street theatre to teach people about social issues. He also works with the Opportunity Network, which helps low-income students in New York get a good education.

In 2015, the United Nations named him the first global advocate for the elimination of mines and explosive hazards. This role involves raising awareness and support for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).

Personal Life

In 1992, Craig married actress Fiona Loudon. They have a daughter named Ella. The couple divorced in 1994.

In 2011, Craig married actress Rachel Weisz. They had worked together on a play in 1994. They have a daughter, who was born in 2018.

Craig is a big fan of the Liverpool F.C. soccer team and also enjoys rugby. In 2019, he became a U.S. citizen.

In September 2021, he was made an honorary Commander in the Royal Navy. This is the same rank as his character, James Bond. In 2022, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for his work in film and theatre.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Craig para niños

• Outline of James Bond