Daniel Craig will go down in history as one of the greatest actors to ever play James Bond. To some, he is the most exciting. In all his five movies, Craig is excellent as Britain’s carefree yet well-intentioned spy, conveying poise and wisdom to offset his emotional reserve.
But things didn’t start so well for the Cheshire-born actor. The decision to hand him the tuxedo was initially met with skepticism. He looked nothing like the character Ian Fleming had described in the books. Neither did he look like what fans were accustomed to seeing on screen. Thankfully, he quickly proved himself, reminding everyone that charisma is Agent 007’s biggest asset, not his appearance.
Craig’s first Bond movie, Casino Royale, is especially treasured by franchise loyalists. Partially based on Fleming’s first novel, the installment has many iconic scenes. Whether it’s 007 chasing a bomb maker at a construction site in Madagascar or participating in a Texas hold ’em tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro, the picture awes in multiple ways.
However, the filming process wasn’t so smooth for Craig. Despite being assisted by stuntmen in most scenes, he was required to do some of the work himself. He thus ended up losing two front teeth while filming one iconic scene at the start of the movie.
Daniel Craig Lost His Teeth Shooting Casino Royale’s Opening Scene
Casino Royale begins on a high note, with Craig giving a subtly shaded performance that transforms from barely sustained control to outright rage. And it all happens in monochrome.
Here, his younger version of James Bond earns his “license to kill” and promotion to double-O agent status by assassinating the treacherous Dryden and his lackey, Fisher. Dryden — MI6’s section chief in the Czech Republic — is revealed to have been selling the agency’s classified material on the black market, leaving M with no other choice but to sanction a hit on him.
The events play out in the movie’s pre-title sequence and were also the first to be filmed. Bond’s fight with Dryden was especially brutal, and it was during that sequence that Craig got injured.
When Craig was cast, there was a widespread campaign to discredit him. Fans kept mocking him online, while sections of the media closely monitored the production process to sniff out any foul smells. And so news of his injury quickly came out.
At the time, an inside source told Daily Mirror,
“Daniel was filming with some minor actors when he got hit in the face. He was reeling from a heavy blow and staggered back holding his face. He put his hand to his mouth, but the blood started to seep through his fingers — it was horrible. He did not make a fuss though, and fortunately the accident will not affect the film.”
The producers had to fly in a dentist from England to treat the then 37-year-old star. For the rest of his fight scenes, he was required to wear a protective gumshield.
On-Set Injuries Are Common in Bond Movies
On-set injuries are standard fare in Bond movies. The chaos began with the second installment of the film series, From Russia with Love, where actor Walter Gotell, who was portraying the villain Morzeny, got burned in the face as a result of an explosion. Art director Michael White, several stuntmen, and a cameraman are said to have been injured as well.
The Connery-era incidents continued in Goldfinger where the lead actor injured his hand during a fight with Harold Sakata (known for playing the franchise’s best henchmen, Oddjob), and insisted on renegotiating his contract so that he would receive 5% of the profits. Sakata too, burned his hands after holding on to electrified metal bars.
In the Roger Moore era, the actor’s longtime stunt double, Martin Grace, received a serious injury on the set of 1983’s Octopussy. In a scene where James Bond jumps from the side of one train car to another, Martin had perfectly timed his jump only for the train to make an emergency stop. Consequently, his pelvis was shattered, and his leg was severely injured.
Then came the Pierce Brosnan era. Famke Jansen, who played the deranged Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye, broke a rib during a fight sequence with Brosnan after telling him to slam her into a wall with real force. No other major incident would happen until Brosnan’s final film, Die Another Day, when he injured his shoulder, causing production to be shut down. Halle Berry was also at the center of a serious incident when shrapnel from a smoke grenade got into her eye. She had to undergo surgery to remove it. Luckily, her vision wasn’t affected.
During Craig’s turn, the incidents continued past Casino Royale. The actor sprained his ankle during a fight scene in Spectre, but that was nothing compared to assistant director Terry Madden’s injury. During filming, a truck carrying cameras swerved out of control and hit Madden, crushing his legs. He had to undergo surgery for multiple bone fractures. Consequently, he filed a lawsuit.
It’s hardly surprising that in a film series with so many great action sequences, a few things have gone wrong on set. Incidents like that are also more likely to happen when a franchise lasts as long as James Bond has. Hopefully, the next actor to play Bond will be running on safer ground.
Casino Royale
is available to stream in the US on Prime Video