Cinema enthusiasts have been singing the praises of the film that secured Daniel Craig his iconic James Bond role.
Craig went on to embody the Ian Fleming character across five outings, beginning with 2006’s Casino Royale.
He captured producers’ attention not merely through his audition, but via his performance in a British cult favourite that premiered just two years prior.
Supporters are now celebrating the crime thriller that earned Craig the 007 gig, with one particular sequence from the picture proving especially memorable.
A submission on the r/TodayILearned subreddit saw enthusiasts share the moment that apparently secured Craig the part, as it seemingly persuaded James Bond film producer Barbara Broccoli to offer him the role.
The contribution garnered acclaim from viewers for spotlighting the specific sequence, which forms part of the 2004 criminal drama Layer Cake.
The message states: “Daniel Craig got the role of James Bond mostly thanks to a scene from the movie Layer Cake where he acts a ‘Bondesque’ performance when his characters is trying a handgun in hallway.
“While already nominated for the role, producer Barbara Broccoli was convinced to cast him for the role of 007.”
Additional supporters consider the picture a masterpiece of cinema, which also features Michael Gambon and future James Bond cast member Ben Whishaw.
Whishaw would go on to portray Q across three of Craig’s five Bond adventures, whilst the Layer Cake performer would inhabit the secret agent between 2006 and 2022.
One fan penned: “Layer Cake is an amazing movie and highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Guy Ritchie flicks (directed by one of his closest associates Matthew Vaughn).”
Another commented: “I’m watching the movie as I type this and as soon as I saw him aim the gun at himself in the mirror I was like ‘woah, that’s gotta be the scene that made him Bond.'”
A third remarked: “Just saw the scene and instantly knew this is how he got the role.”
This revelation emerges as Casino Royale enthusiasts are only just discovering that Craig was clueless about poker during his filming scenes.
The specific sequence features Bond being assigned to compete in poker against various characters including Le Chiffre.
Mads Mikkelsen, the performer who portrays the menacing Le Chiffre, reveals that everyone seated at the table, apart from Craig, understood how to execute the scene properly.
This blunder actually enhances the film’s appeal, according to supporters.
They find it thoroughly entertaining to discover that Craig, despite embodying the sophisticated secret agent, was “awful” at poker.
A submission to the r/TodayILearned Reddit forum states: “Despite his lead role as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Daniel Craig was reportedly awful at Poker.
“Le Chiffre actor Mads Mikkelsen recalled, ‘Everybody knew how to play poker actually around that table, except for one, Daniel. He had no clue. He sucked.'”