Bond Series: Daniel Craig–New Bond is Blond

“I don’t compare myself to any of the previous Bonds,” says British actor Daniel Craig about his being cast in the most iconic role in film history: Agent 007.
With his starring role in “Casino Royale,” the 21st Bond picture in what’s the longest, most successful series in film history, Craig joins the elite group of actors who have donned the impeccably tailored tuxedo of quintessential Cold War superspy James Bond.

Craig is just as quick to point out that his favorite Bond is Sean Connery, and not just because he was the first to play the role in “Dr. No,” in 1962. “Connerydefined the role, for which he was perfect. He was bad, sexy, animalistic, and cool.”

At 38, Craig has the distinction of being the first blond Bond, defying the tradition of the dark-haired Sean Connery, George Lazenby (who made only one picture, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,”), Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.

After two years of speculations, Craig landed the coveted role in a casting search that had the proportions and media blitz of finding the right actress to play Scarlet O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind,” back in 1939.

Rumors began to fly about the search for a new Bond in 2004, and Craig found himself on a list with fellow countrymen Clive Owen, Scottish Ewan McGregor, and Aussies Eric Bana and Hugh Jackman. In February 2005, Craig ran into the previous Bond, Pierce Brosnan, at the BAFTA Awards. Leaning over, Craig said, “It’s a possibility, what do you think,” to which Brosnan responded quickly and generously, “Go for it!”

Craig knew that he would have to face the voracious global media, which happened on October 14, 2005, when he was introduced to the press as the new Bond. Some of the headlines”The Name’s Bland, James Bland”were nasty, while others, like the website Craignotbond.comwere cruel and unsparing. Critics claimed that he was too blond, too plain. It’s noteworthy that Sean Connery was initially dismissed by Bond author Ian Fleming as “snorting lorry driver.”

He says he was hurt by the negative press: “I didn’t respond publicly, but I wanted to say, ‘Give it a chance. Let me show you what I can do with the role. Go see the movie and then judge me.'”

However, even the nay-sayers had to acknowledge that Craig was an accomplished, versatile actor, giving riveting performances in “Road to Perdition” (as Paul Newman’s bad son), “Sylvia” (as Ted Hughes, Sylvia Platt’s husband-poet), trashy adventures like “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” with Angelina Jolie, and art films like “Capote,” in which he played real-life killer Perry Smith.

Initially, Craig turned the role down, because, as he says, “there was no script to speak of, which to me the most crucial element.” Indeed, committing to the role was a long process that took about 18 months: “Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson approached me a long time ago, but I said I need to see the script. Once I read it, I said to myself, ‘I have to have a go at this, because if I don’t do it, I’ll regret it. I screen-tested, while Barbara did a lot of winking at me, saying it’s OK, so I had a little more confidence.”

Longtime Bond franchise producers Broccoli and Wilson describe Craig as “the definitive actor of his generation.” They recall, “When we audition for the role of Bond, we ask actors to do the scene in ‘From Russia With Love,’ where Bond meets Tatiana Romanova for the first time. The scene has everything you want to know about the potential Bond: Drama, romance, and action.”

Craig passed the test “with flying colors,” according to Broccoli: “As soon as we met him, Daniel was the obvious choice for Bond. He is charismatic, versatile, and sexy. The role is a big challenge, but he has proven to us that he is an incredible Bond.”

Craig was on location in Maryland last October shooting the thriller “The Visiting,” with Nicole Kidman, when Barbara Broccoli called with the now iconic line, “It’s Over to You, Kiddo.” Rushing out of the grocery store to the closest liquor store, he bought good Vodka (Grey Goose) and got drunk, alone.

There was a feeling of anti-climax after he got the call: “Apart from getting blindingly drunk, which was my first step, with Vodka Martinis, it really sank in a couple of days later, when we did the press lunch in London. After that, I just thought, ‘O.K. Let’s make the best Bond movie we can. Let’s go on with the show.'”

After he got the role, Craig called Broccoli and said, “Look I need to get in shape for this, because I want to do as many stunts as I possibly can, but I also think that if Bond should at some point take his shirt off, we should feel that he’s physically imposing, that he’s done the things he’s supposed to have done, like being a commander in the Navy.”

As soon as the reality of the situation began to sink in, Craig says he was anxious to begin preparing for the role, knowing the physical challenges he would face. He thus embarked on a rigorous fitness regime. The effort paid off as soon as production began in Modrany Studios, outside Prague. The first scene he shot was the pulse-pounding chase sequence, in which Bond pursues would be bomber through the Nambutu Embassy.”

“I wanted to do as much of the action work as possible,” Craig recalls, “so that the audience can see that it’s me and that it’s real. That meant acquiring injuries and carrying on, blasting through to the next level of actionand pain. Though Gary Powell and his stunt team did fantastic work to make sure that everything was safe, if you don’t get bruised playing Bond, you’re not doing the job properly.”

He elaborates: “I had black eyes, cuts, bruises, and muscle strain. We had a physiotherapist on the set and I took lots of painkillers. You ask a stuntman what does it feel to fall down a flight of stairs, and he’ll tell you, it’s like falling down a flight of stairs. Thats the simple answer. As much as I was hurt, the stunt men were in much more pain that I was, so I had to just get on with it.”

Co-star Judi Dench, who reprises her role as M for the fifth time, was reportedly impressed with Craig’s shapely physique when she saw him on location. Asked to commend about Dench’s response, Craig turns bashful and self-conscious: “You have to ask Judi about that. I am not going to get involved with that question.”

Ultimately, Craig was drawn to the movie because of the script’s emotional complexity and the way his character evolves. “In this film, Bond is a darker character, which is how Ian Fleming originally wrote him,” says the actor. “We start right at the beginning of Bond’s career, when he has a lot of rough edges. He’s a loner, and he doesn’t like to get involved with people. We wanted to base the story as much in reality as possible, within the bounds of the franchise. As the story goes on, however, Bond becomes more refined.”

In preparation for the role, Craig watched all the Bond movies, but specifically “Dr. No” and “From Russia With Love,” which for him are exceptional: “I looked very carefully at them and tried to get some of the essence of what was going on at the time.” He says he watched every Bond movie, “because I didn’t want to miss a trick and wanted to find good things in them that I could use. But then I pushed all that behind me because I didn’t want to do it unless I could take it in another direction and move forward.”

Growing up in a small town outside Liverpool, the young Craig loved movies. He singles out Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” as inspirational: “I walked into the cinema not knowing what was on, sat down with my drink and popcorn and Blade Runner came on. I *didn’t know Ridley Scott from Adam, but I wanted to make movies like that, to create beautiful images in a great story. The movie had a huge influence on my life.”

“As a young boy, I loved the movies of Steve McQueen,” the iconic star best-known for his macho charisma, cool lookand blue eyes. Some critics have already compared Craig to McQueen who was at his prime in such quintessentially Hollywood adventures as “Bullitt” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.”

“Daniel will be a revelation to the audience,” predicts director Martin Campbell, who also introduced Pierce Brosnan in his Bond debut in “GoldenEye,” in 1995. “He combines toughness with charm and humor, and because this is a much more character driven story, Daniel’s gravitas are a perfect match for the role. At the same time, he’s in great physical shape and proved himself to be excellent in the action scenes.”

Craig is quick to repay Campbell’s compliment, crediting his director with galvanizing the cast and crew and, more importantly, translating the electricity on the set to the excitement on the big screen. “Martin fires everyone up. You obviously need that level of energy in the action sequences, but it’s equally valuable in quieter, dramatic scenes like the poker tournament.”

Craig says he tried to apply to the role “the methods, the skills, and all the things that I know how to do as an actor. For him, “It doesn’t matter how big the movie is, there’s got to be an element of truth in everything I do, because if I don’t believe in it, nobody else will. All I can do is rely on my experience. I mean I’m in the entertainment business and part of whatever job I do has to have an entertaining element because that’s the art form.”

Contracted to do two more Bond pictures, Craig says “The plan is to shoot another Bond movie by the end of next year, but we really have to get this one out first. We have to find out what the response is, which will affect where we take the next Bond picture.”

Craig hopes the Bond experience will prove liberating rather than stifling: “It’s a high-class problem to have an actor typecast as James Bond, and I’m certainly going to try and get as much out of it as I can. I’m aware that it might limit what I do, but I shall approach that problem as it comes.”

I asked Craig whether he feels responsibility to carry on the legacy of the Bond pictures that began six years before he was born. “I accept the fact that there is this Bond history,” he says, “I want to continue the tradition of parents taking their children to see the movie because they were taken by their parents. You could be critical of past movies, you can be critical of my movie, but it’s a great cinema tradition and Bond is a great character. I want to appeal to everybody, but then I’m greedy.”

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbethttps://bsport.fithttps://onbet88.ooohttps://i9bet.bizhttps://hi88.ooohttps://okvip.athttps://f8bet.athttps://fb88.cashhttps://vn88.cashhttps://shbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88
Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter