Daniel Craig’s portrayal of James Bond in Casino Royale is widely celebrated, but behind the scenes, he ruffled some feathers, literally at the poker table. In a recent interview, Mads Mikkelsen, who played the villain Le Chiffre, revealed that Craig had no poker experience during filming, which resulted in some playful tension among the cast. Despite this, the film went on to become a fan favorite and a box office success.
Daniel Craig hated on Casino Royale set, says Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen shared a funny behind-the-scenes story from Casino Royale, focusing on the tense poker scenes. He revealed that while he and the other actors at the table were seasoned poker players, Daniel Craig didn’t know the first thing about the game. Mikkelsen joked that despite this, Craig ended up walking away with 150 million of his on-screen chips.
“Daniel Craig was the only guy in that film who did not know how to play poker. And he ran away with 150 million of my dollars. I played a lot of poker during the shooting of that film. And all the guys at the table were big poker players. And, as I said, Daniel had no clue. We hated him for it,” Mikkelsen joked.
Fans also chimed in on Mikkelsen’s reveal, with some joking, “Daniel Craig could’ve been bluffing, a big part of Poker.” Others showered praise on Mads’ performance, saying, “You were incredible as Le Chiffre, calm, cool, and maniacal. With Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, it’s hands down my favorite James Bond movie!”
Released in 2006, Casino Royale was Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond, and gave the franchise a gritty, emotionally charged reboot. The movie smashed box office expectations, earning over $600 million globally, and critics applauded its fresh spin on 007. Alongside Craig, the film starred Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, and Judi Dench as M.
