Happy birthday Daniel Craig! It's time we celebrate the James Bond star taking another year 'round the sun as he turns 56 on Saturday, March 2.
The English actor has been in the spotlight for over three decades, marking nearly 32 years this month since the release of his debut film, the 1992 drama The Power of One.
Daniel starred in the film alongside Stephen Dorff, John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, and Armin Mueller-Stahl, and while it didn't make much of a splash with critics or at the box office, it officially kicked off his acclaimed film career.
© Getty ImagesHe played antagonist Jaapie Botha, a racist sergeant in the South African Police force who holds contempt for an English South African named PK, who he grew up with and now aims to unite citizens of all races during the apartheid era.
Just 24 at the time of the film's release, Daniel can be seen in photos from the time looking quite different from the suave figure we've come to recognize him as now.
While he still sported a relatively athletic build, he was a lot more lean and toned and was styled out in slick platinum blonde hair with a much more youthful glow, not unlike a young Sting.
© Getty ImagesHowever, some of his more distinct features remain the same, including his chiseled face, gentle and slight smile, and, of course, the piercing gaze with the icy blue eyes.
SEE: Daniel Craig showcases very tanned new look during date night with wife Rachel Weisz
After training at the National Youth Theatre in London, the actor began finding more work in bit parts on TV shows and small movie roles. He achieved his breakthrough in the 1996 drama series Our Friends in the North.
© Getty ImagesSoon after, he started achieving prominence in Hollywood thanks to roles in films like Elizabeth (1998), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Road to Perdition (2002), Layer Cake (2004), and Munich (2005).
MORE: Daniel Craig debuts new hairdo at star-studded event alongside wife Rachel Weisz
In an interview with GQ, he talked about finding the excitement and the drive to keep going on auditions early in his career before landing the parts that allowed his career to soar.
© Getty Images"At the end of the day, we had to put a show on, and I can put a [expletive] show on," he said. "I love that leveling. When you're standing backstage and you're ready to go on.… You're all looking at each other, and you're all [expletive] yourselves. All bets are off."
MORE: Rachel Weisz shares thoughts on assuming husband Daniel Craig's most iconic role
He even calls the feeling a "drug," adding: "It's a place to be able to be out of control, to be completely out of control. But yet you have to be in control."
© Getty ImagesIn 2006, Daniel made his debut as James Bond in the film Casino Royale, and despite being negatively received when he was announced as the new Bond, once the film was released, he received overwhelmingly positive reviews.
MORE: Rachel Weisz confesses fears for Daniel Craig following retirement from James Bond films
To assume the role, he adopted a more sophisticated and stoic demeanor, bulking up considerably to play a more beefy version of the famed English spy. It is that look that has remained associated with him to this day. Although you can check out his most recent look for an on-screen role in the clip below...
He played Bond four more times before departing the franchise with 2021's No Time to Die, and his most significant film roles since Casino Royale include 2011's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2017's Logan Lucky, and 2019's Knives Out (plus its 2022 sequel Glass Onion).
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features, and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
