Has the James Bond actor served any time in the military during his life?
No, Daniel Craig was never in the military. He studied acting during his youth and worked odd jobs, like waiting tables. His most famous character – James Bond – has been in the military though, so that is possibly what confuses fans.
Read on to learn more about Bond in the military and Daniel as he was growing up!
Daniel Studied Acting When Growing Up
Daniel Craig grew up in England. As a child, he dabbled briefly in sports; playing rugby union in high school. He had always been interested in acting in school plays when he was just six years old! After attending some plays at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre with his mother, he began to consider acting as a career.
Daniel got into the National Youth Theatre when he was 16. He then left school and worked as a waiter part-time to pay his fees. He made multiple attempts at getting into drama schools afterwards, and was finally accepted into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he even spent three years studying under Colin McCormack.
Daniel’s most famous role may be James Bond, but his initial casting as Bond did not have a positive reception. It was only after the release of Casino Royale that critics admitted that they were wrong. Regardless, Daniel’s acting career spans over many diverse roles. Some of his other famous roles include the gangster movie, Layer Cake; the gangster movie, Layer Cake; hits like Steven Spielberg’s Munich; and others here and there, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Road to Perdition. He also starred in the critically acclaimed historical biopic, Elizabeth.
James Bond Seems to be a Military Man
James Bond himself is, however, a military man. His military rank is dubious; it is never explicitly mentioned in any of the movies, but we do know that Bond served as a Commander in the Royal Navy. This fact is mentioned in movies such as A View to a Kill and GoldenEye.
This was before Bond began working for the British Secret Service, though. Some fans have also pointed out that when Bond fakes his death in You Only Live Twice, the funeral he is given suspiciously resembles a Navy burial at sea.
The character James Bond was inspired by a spy, among other things. The spy in question is the English polymath John Dee, who would sign his letters to Queen Elizabeth I using a ‘007’ glyph, which meant that they were for her only. The creator of Bond, Ian Fleming also based him on his own experiences as a Naval Intelligence Officer during WWII.
Daniel Visited British Troops in Afghanistan
In 2012, Daniel Craig visited some British troops who were fans of him as Bond. He surprised them by dropping in at the Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, where around 800 soldiers were watching the screening of Skyfall.
Daniel was given a tour of the camp, and he also learned about the techniques that the soldiers used to search for bombs and such. One of them, Rob Ingham, said, “We get quite a lot of visitors here, but having James Bond was special.” Another, Scott Craggs, said, “It was really good morale for everyone – it’s a decent thing for him to take time to come out and visit everyone here.”