Casino Royale (2006) is widely regarded as one of the best Bond films ever, as well as Daniel Craig’s finest outing as part of the franchise. But behind the scenes, a then 38-year-old Craig struggled while shooting the iconic poker game sequence. Surprising, right? Although it doesn’t come across on-screen, Craig had absolutely zero poker playing experience and was supposedly ribbed for it by his co-stars.
Daniel Craig “Sucked” at Poker, According to Le Chiffre Actor Mads Mikkelsen
In an interview with GQ to break down his most iconic characters, the legendary Mads Mikkelsen, who played the villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, shared some hilarious insight into how Daniel Craig was the only actor on-set who didn’t know how to play poker:
“Everybody knew how to play poker, actually, around that table except for one: Daniel. He had no clue. He sucked. And it was the worst thing ever that he, of all people, had to beat me and win all my money. It was like, ‘This is wrong’. Well, I got him back with the rope, so that’s good.”
You wouldn’t guess that a Bond actor with such authority and poise would be clueless when it came to poker, but this was the case with Craig, who allegedly had to get a helping hand on-set to get through the scenes. It’s safe to say that Craig must be more of a baccarat fan in real life.
In fairness to Craig, that poker sequence did, at one point, see Bond get poisoned. He stumbled outside, got revived by a defibrillator, and then went back in to win the $120 million pot and seal Le Chiffre’s fate. In typical Bond fashion, it all worked out quite nicely and he even tipped the dealer a $500k chip. There are high-rollers, and then there’s Bond.
No doubt, if Casino Royale was filmed today, it would probably take place in an online casino or sweepstakes casino, which is where most people tend to play poker now. You get sweeps casino bonuses and all kinds of other perks, so the days of playing in dimly lit casinos in Montenegro are, seemingly, only reserved for Bond-types.
Casino Royale Turns 20 This Year
Believe it or not, 2006’s Casino Royale is fast approaching 20 years old.
With the franchise in desperate need of a revival following a poor end to the Brosnan era, Daniel Craig was the right man at the right time.
Director Martin Campbell and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wanted a gritty and highly realistic movie to kickstart a new era for Bond, which they were able to execute perfectly.
The film is for the most part flawless and was thankfully able to pivot away from the over-the-top and comedic tropes that had sometimes plagued the Bond franchise after Sean Connery.
Casino Royale ultimately catapulted Daniel Craig into global stardom and set the tone for what would be an incredible five movie run, although some try to pretend that Quantum of Solace (2008) never happened, and we can’t blame them.
The 2006 classic will, of course, be most remembered for the parkour chase, gruesome torture scene, and the aforementioned high-stakes poker game, which you might not be able to watch the same anymore knowing that Daniel Craig is (quite literally) bluffing his way through it.
Is Casino Royale the best Bond movie of all time? Most loyalists of the franchise think it is and not many will disagree. It holds up exceptionally well for its time and you just can’t get much better than that when it comes to a Bond movie. Skyfall (2012) is certainly a contender for Craig’s best outing as well, but almost everyone will universally say Casino Royale takes the crown.
Who Will Be the Next Bond?
With the 20th anniversary of Casino Royale coming up and the Bond franchise now sitting untouched since 2021’s No Time to Die, which saw Craig’s bond controversially get killed off, now would be the perfect time to announce who the next Bond is.
So far, everything has been very tight lipped and despite plenty of casting rumours flying around, nobody knows for certain who the next James Bond will actually be.
There’s even been speculation that a 72-year-old Pierce Brosnan could be returning to the franchise for one last dance in what would be a ‘Bond comes out of retirement in his old age’-style movie.
It would certainly be an interesting move for the franchise and plenty of fans are clambering for a Brosnan return, but the more likely outcome is that Amazon MGM Studios, who now hold creative control of the franchise, will pick a young up-and-coming actor to be Bond 26.
Some names that have been mentioned include Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who are currently the betting favorites.
Idris Elba and Henry Cavill have also been linked with the role for close to a decade now, although it’s reached a point where it may be too late for both of them.
