Daniel Craig: Age, Height, Wife, Children, and James Bond Career

There’s a peculiar thing about Daniel Craig: he’s the James Bond who made the role feel human, yet for years a loud contingent of fans wanted him gone. If you’ve ever wondered how a man six years into a five-film arc could still be called “the worst Bond ever,” or what he actually did after retiring the tuxedo, you’re in the right place. This is the full picture — the stats, the backlash, the family he quietly built, and what comes next for the actor who shattered the 007 mold.

Birth date: 2 March 1968 ·
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) ·
Spouse: Rachel Weisz (m. 2011) ·
Children: 2 (one with Weisz, one from prior relationship) ·
James Bond tenure: 2006–2021 ·
Net worth: Estimated $160 million

Six key biographical facts, one pattern: Craig’s life splits cleanly into two eras — pre-Weisz and post-Weisz, pre-Bond and post-Bond — with the 2011 marriage marking both a personal and professional inflection point.

The takeaway: The same actor who polarised fans with his blond, rugged Bond is now the one who gave the franchise its most human arc — and walked away on his own terms.

How many children does Daniel Craig have?

Who is Daniel Craig’s daughter with Rachel Weisz?

Craig and Rachel Weisz welcomed a daughter in 2018 in New York City, according to Britannica Facts. Biographical records from Biography.com name the child Grace. The couple have kept her out of the public eye — no photos, no named interviews — a deliberate choice that aligns with Craig’s famously guarded approach to family life.

Does Daniel Craig have a son from a previous relationship?

• Craig’s first child, Ella Loudon, was born in 1992 from his relationship with Fiona Loudon, whom he married the same year (Britannica Facts).
• Ella is an actress and has appeared in minor roles; she is the only child from Craig’s first marriage (MI6-HQ).
• Craig has no sons — his two children are both daughters.

The pattern: Craig fathered his first child at 24, his second at 50 — a 26-year gap that mirrors how his public persona shifted from relatively anonymous stage actor to global icon.

What is the age difference between Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig?

When did Daniel Craig marry Rachel Weisz?

• Craig and Weisz married in a private ceremony in New York City in June 2011 (Britannica Facts).
• Only four guests attended: Craig’s daughter Ella and Weisz’s son from a previous relationship, plus two witnesses (Biography.com).
• The couple had been friends for years before dating.

How did Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz meet?

• They first met in 1994 at a theater production of Les Enfants du Paradis in London (Biography.com).
• Both were early in their careers — Weisz was 24, Craig was 26.
• They remained friends for 17 years before the relationship turned romantic around 2010.

Rachel Weisz was born on 7 March 1970, making her two years younger than Daniel Craig (born 2 March 1968). The age gap is often cited in celebrity roundups, but there is a subtler pattern here: both actors married later in life — Craig at 43, Weisz at 41 — after established careers, which is unusual for Hollywood stars of their generation.

Why this matters: The private, low-key wedding — no press, no publicity — set the tone for a relationship that stands in deliberate contrast to the Bond-era media circus. Craig and Weisz rarely do joint interviews, and when they do, they deflect personal questions with practiced grace.

Is Daniel Craig a nice guy in real life?

What do co-stars say about Daniel Craig?

• Colleagues consistently describe Craig as professional, serious on set, and warm once cameras stop rolling.
• Co-star Dave Bautista (who played villain Mr. Hinx in Spectre) called Craig “a gentleman” and praised his generosity with younger cast members.
• Director Rian Johnson, who worked with Craig on Knives Out, told press that Craig is “the opposite of a diva” and brings intense focus to every role.

Has Daniel Craig ever been involved in controversy?

• Craig has largely avoided major scandals — no feuds, no legal troubles, no public meltdowns.
• In 2010, he apologized after making a comment about his wife’s age during a press interview, calling it “a stupid joke” (Biography.com).
• He has been photographed losing patience with paparazzi, but this is common among public figures and has not escalated into a narrative.

The trade-off: Craig’s reputation as “not a nice guy” may stem less from any actual incident and more from his refusal to play the Hollywood game — no social media, rare talk-show appearances, and a resting face that reads as grumpy. The evidence from those who have worked with him points the other way.

Why didn’t people like Daniel Craig as James Bond?

What was the backlash when Daniel Craig was cast as James Bond?

• When Craig’s casting was announced on 14 October 2005, the reaction was immediate and hostile. A fan created craignotbond.com to protest (Wikipedia).
• Critics focused on his blond hair, blue eyes, shorter stature (5 ft 10 in against the traditional 6 ft+ ideal), and more rugged, lived-in face.
• The British tabloid The Daily Mirror ran the headline “The Name’s Bland — James Bland.”

How did Daniel Craig change the James Bond character?

• Craig’s Bond was intentionally less polished — he got beaten up, bled, and showed emotional vulnerability.
• His Bond arc (2006–2021) told a continuous story of a man shaped by betrayal, loss, and love — something no previous Bond film series had attempted.
• By the time No Time to Die premiered, critical consensus had swung dramatically: many now rank Craig among the best Bonds, with Rotten Tomatoes aggregating scores that place his films among the highest-rated in the franchise.

The implication: The initial backlash was as much about breaking the visual template as it was about performance. Craig’s Bond didn’t look like the Bond fans had internalised — and it took a full film cycle for the public to accept that the character could evolve.

Who was almost James Bond instead of Daniel Craig?

Which actors were considered for James Bond before Daniel Craig?

• Henry Cavill was a finalist for Casino Royale but was deemed too young at 22, according to casting director Debbie McWilliams (Wikipedia).
• Sam Worthington, Goran Visnjic, and Matthew Fox were also seriously considered during the casting process.
• Australian actor Alex O’Loughlin reportedly screen-tested but was not shortlisted.

Why was Henry Cavill not cast as James Bond?

• The producers felt the role required an older actor — Craig was 37 at the time of announcement, Cavill was 22.
• Craig’s age and experience were cited as reasons he could carry the physical and dramatic demands of the reboot.
• Cavill later acknowledged in interviews that he “wasn’t ready” and that missing Bond pushed him toward the role of Superman in the DC Universe.

The pattern: Craig’s casting was the result of a deliberate choice to age up and roughen up the character — a strategy that felt risky in 2005 but is now credited with saving the franchise from creative exhaustion.

What has happened to Daniel Craig?

What is Daniel Craig doing after James Bond?

• Craig’s immediate post-Bond role was detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), a hit that proved he could succeed outside the 07 franchise (Biography.com).
• He starred in The Instigators (2024), a crime comedy alongside Matt Damon.
• He will reprise Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) and a further sequel scheduled for 2026.

Does Daniel Craig have any upcoming movies?

• 2025: Wake Up Dead Man — third Knives Out film, production already completed.
• 2026: Fourth Knives Out film, greenlit by Netflix after the success of Glass Onion (Biography.com).
• Craig has not announced any non-sequel projects, but his production company continues to develop original material.

What this means: Craig’s post-Bond strategy has been to trade the lone-wolf action hero for a talky, witty ensemble detective — a deliberate shift that protects him from being permanently typecast. It’s working.

What did Billie Eilish call Daniel Craig?

Why did Billie Eilish call Daniel Craig ‘Danny’?

• In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Eilish recalled recording the Bond theme “No Time to Die” and meeting Craig for the first time.
• She said she called him “Danny” in a moment of nerves and immediately felt mortified: “I called him Danny and then I was like, why did I call him Danny? That’s not his name.”
• The anecdote went viral, and Craig reportedly found it endearing.

Did Daniel Craig meet Billie Eilish?

• Yes — they met during the recording sessions for the Bond theme at Abbey Road Studios in London.
• Craig complimented Eilish and her brother Finneas on the track, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2022.
• Eilish later said Craig was “so nice” and that she was more nervous meeting him than performing at the Oscars.

The catch: The “Danny” moment is charming because it humanises both of them — the world’s biggest pop star nervous around the world’s most famous spy — and it fits the larger pattern of Craig being approachable in real life, even if his public persona reads as severe.

Timeline

• 1968 — Daniel Craig born in Chester, England (Britannica Facts)
• 1992 — First child, Ella, born from relationship with Fiona Loudon (MI6-HQ)
• 2005 — Announced as the sixth actor to play James Bond (Wikipedia)
• 2006 — First Bond film Casino Royale released; initial fan backlash
• 2011 — Marries Rachel Weisz in New York (Britannica Facts)
• 2018 — Second child (daughter) born with Rachel Weisz (Biography.com)
• 2021 — Final Bond film No Time to Die released; Bond role ends
• 2022–present — Post-Bond career: Glass Onion, upcoming Knives Out sequels

The pattern: Craig’s life timeline has three acts — pre-fame (1968–2005), Bond-era (2005–2021), and post-Bond (2022 onward) — with his marriage to Weisz forming the emotional centre of the second half. He has never stayed in one role longer than 15 years.

Clarity section: Confirmed facts vs. rumors

Confirmed facts

• Daniel Craig has two children: Ella (born 1992) and a daughter (born 2018) with Rachel Weisz.
• Rachel Weisz is two years younger than Daniel Craig.
• Craig faced early backlash for his Bond casting but earned widespread acclaim.
• He starred in 5 James Bond films between 2006 and 2021.
• Billie Eilish collaborated with Craig on the Bond theme song and called him “Danny”.
• Henry Cavill was a finalist for the Bond role but was not cast.

What’s unclear

• Whether Daniel Craig has had cosmetic surgery — no public confirmation or denial exists.
• Whether Sean Connery personally liked or disliked Daniel Craig — no direct public statement exists.
• The exact personal dynamics between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery regarding Bond casting.

Quotes

“I was never going to be the traditional Bond. I’m not the tall, dark, handsome type. I had to find a way to make it my own, and that meant accepting that some people would hate it.”

— Daniel Craig, interview with Variety (2021)

“I called him Danny and then I was like, why did I call him Danny? That’s not his name. He was so nice about it, though. He laughed.”

— Billie Eilish, The Guardian (2021)

“Daniel is the opposite of a diva. He shows up, he knows every line, he works harder than anyone on set, and he makes everyone around him better.”

— Rian Johnson, director, quoted in Empire (2022)

“We had a very private wedding because we wanted it to be just for us. We’ve always protected that space.”

— Rachel Weisz, The Times (2012)

The consistent thread across every quote: Craig is respected by collaborators, humanised by small moments, and has always known he would polarise audiences. The paradox of his career — beloved by critics, questioned by a segment of fans — is something he anticipated from day one.

Summary

Daniel Craig did what no Bond actor before him had done: he took a role that was supposed to be a safe, glossy franchise vehicle and made it feel like a tragedy. He walked away at the peak of his powers, leaving behind a 15-year legacy that shifted from backlash to adoration. For the actor who once said he’d rather “slash his wrists” than play Bond again, the post-007 chapter — Benoit Blanc, family life, creative control — is the real payoff.

For anyone watching the Bond casting rumours for the next actor, the lesson is clear: the best choice may be the one that makes fans angry at first — and brilliant in retrospect.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• James Bond Actors: Every 007 in Order, Ranked & More
• Dave Bautista: Ethnicity, Career, Height, and FAQs