Craig is licensed to thrill

CRAIG. Turned England’s favorite spy into a thinking—and feeling—action hero.

There are good reasons why “Skyfall,” Daniel Craig’s third outing as James Bond, is highly anticipated: Helmed by Sam Mendes, Agent 007’s latest adventure is the 25th big-screen release of the action franchise, top-billed in various incarnations by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, George Lazenby and Craig.

The string of Bond starrers since 1962’s “Dr. No” includes “Never Say Never Again,” the 1983 “unofficial” remake of “Thunderball” (and Connery’s final bow as the super-sleuth), and the 1967 spoof, “Casino Royale,” whose impressive cast included Orson Welles, John Huston, Woody Allen, William Holden and Deborah Kerr!

In “Skyfall,” Bond’s loyalty to M (Judy Dench) is tested as MI6 comes under attack. The film is getting high marks from critics: Variety describes the franchise’s latest installment as a “smart, savvy and incredibly satisfying addition to the 007 oeuvre.”

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If great reviews don’t convince you to make a beeline for the box office, the presence of Craig’s formidable co-stars—Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Javier Bardem—should.

For us, however, the actioner’s biggest draw is Craig himself. Long before he wowed moviegoers with his visceral reinvention of the iconic character in 2006’s “Casino Royale” series reboot, Daniel won us over with his depth, dramatic daring and dedication to the acting craft—onstage and in indie film productions.

We first noticed the actor in 2002, when we watched Caryl Churchill’s “A Number,” a nature-versus-nurture drama about cloning, directed by Stephen Daldry at the Royal Court Theater in London.

Set in the not-so-distant future, the cautionary play examines the conflict between a father (Michael Gambon) and his three sons (all played by Daniel)—two of whom are clones of the first!

The following year, Craig blew us away when we saw him on the big screen: Roger Michell’s acclaimed British indie, “The Mother,” follows May (Anne Reid), a lonely grandmother, who gets embroiled in a passionate affair with a young and married handyman, Darren (played to sinister perfection by a scorchingly sexy Craig).

The actor’s notable turn in “The Mother” jumpstarted an acting career that has been boosted by one thespic triumph after another.

Craig’s license to thrill was sealed when he was thrust into mainstream viewers’ consciousness. He inherited James Bond’s badge from Brosnan, then turned England’s favorite spy into a thinking—and feeling—action hero!