Playing James Bond
Around this time, rumors had begun to swirl about Craig becoming the next actor to play the role of legendary spy James Bond. Fans, who were used to previous Bonds played by actors such as Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan, objected to having Craig in the part. Many fans felt he was too blond or too old. Film critics believed that, for a serious stage-trained actor like Craig, playing Bond would be an ill-advised move. But Craig believed it was a great opportunity, agreeing to a five-film contract. "When I accepted the job to work on Bond, I genuinely did it to change my life. I knew that it would flip everything on its head... I've never made movies for money—I've always made them because I truly wanted to do them," he explained to Interview magazine.
Proving the skeptics wrong, made Bond history with 2006's Casino Royale. He helped reinvigorate the long-running film franchise with his modern take on Bond, described by one critic as "a noble thug." Casino Royale became the highest-grossing Bond film to date, earning $594 million worldwide. Craig starred as 007 in the next installment, Quantum of Solace in 2008, another box-office hit, followed by the 2012 Bond blockbuster Skyfall.