In the mid-2000s, Daniel Craig was not the obvious choice for James Bond. In fact, according to Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams, the media and public balked at the idea of a “blonde bond”. on the verge of no time to die, she’s sharing details about why people didn’t want Daniel Craig in the iconic role.
Daniel Craig became James Bond in 2005
Rugged, blonde, and ready to roll, Daniel Craig rocked the entire Bond franchise in 2005. His first Bond film, casino Royale, ushered in a new, darker era of espionage intrigue.
A series of iconic Bonds before Craig began with Sean Connery, who played Bond in 1962–67 and 1971 and 1983. Dave Niven tried to land the role in 1967. you only Live Twice; That’s what George Lazenby did in 1969 on her Majesty’s Secret Service. From 1972-1985 Roger Moore stepped in; Timothy Dalton from 1986-1994; And finally, Pierce Brosnan from 1994-2004.
While the previous bonds differed to an extent, they all had some things in common. They were suicidal, oversexed and of course brunette.
So it wasn’t without an uproar that fair-haired Daniel Craig entered the arena after Pierce Brosnan’s final turn as the titular spy. die Another Day (2002.) According to WikipediaBrosnan was still hoping to do another Bond film, but by February 2005 he had posted on his personal website that he was no longer 007.
By October of the same year, Craig was official. And according to McWilliams, who was the casting director for at least 10 Bond films, many people were unhappy with the controversial decision.
Debbie McWilliams has been casting for 007 movies since 1981
in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, McWilliams reflected on the criticism he had made regarding his choice to cast Daniel Craig. Craig was a relative newcomer at the time. he appeared in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001,) road to Perdition (2002,) and sylvia (2003), in which he played poet Ted Hughes opposite Gwyneth Paltrow’s Sylvia Plath.
Obviously, none of this high-brow experience pacified angry Bond devotees, who McWilliams said reacted very badly to the news.
“It was incredibly negative, I must say,” McWilliams told EW. “The press reaction was terrible and I felt very sorry for him, but in a weird way I think it inspired him to do his best to prove everyone wrong.”
McWilliams explained that Craig’s opponents continued to grind the ax; There were reports during filming that Craig was incompetent at all things Bond, she said.
“Throughout the movie, things came out that he couldn’t walk and talk, he couldn’t run, he couldn’t drive a car properly, so much stuff that was completely and utterly untrue. ,” she told the magazine. “And he just put his head down, got to work, and then the movie came out and everyone went, ‘Oh wow, I think we like him enough. That’s going to be a tough act to follow. Used to be.’”
Daniel Craig ‘No Time to Die’ to release in October 2021
At 16, Craig has been the longest bond among his peers. no time to die, scheduled for an October 8, 2021 release date, marks Daniel Craig’s fifth time playing Bond. Sean Connery outclassed him for several Bond films, playing him in 7 films.
As McWilliams said, Craig was, and is, a tough act to follow. He defined exactly what McWilliams looked for in a Bond.
“It’s someone who can hold their own, who is attractive, physical, able to not only participate, but all the razzmatazz that goes with it,” she told EW.
And that “Razzmatazz” will undoubtedly be waiting to pick up the next Bond and move on.
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