CHESTER-BORN James Bond star Daniel Craig may have been inspired to become an actor after being taken to the city’s Gateway Theatre as a young boy.
Daniel, star of latest Bond film Quantum of Solace, visited the Gateway and Liverpool’s Everyman theatres from a young age.
Daniel was born at 41 Liverpool Road on March 2, 1968, where he lived with dad Tim and mum Carol Olivia but they split up when he was still a toddler.
Carol, an art student at Liverpool, was the daughter of the landlord and landlady of The Deva Hotel, which is now Amber Lounge.
Now, for the second time, Chester has secured a regional advance screening of the latest James Bond film, with Tim and his wife Kirsty, who run recruitment firm The Business Connection in Lower Bridge Street and scanning company Veridata in Saltney, set to attend.
Quantum of Solace will be screened at Cineworld, Sealand Road, on Thursday, October 30, the day before the movie goes on general release following the success of the Casino Royale screening at the now-defunct Chester Odeon in 2006.
Tim, who is in inundated with interview requests nowadays, no longer talks about Daniel to the worldwide media by agreement with his son, but in a short statement to The Chronicle said: “He doesn’t talk about me and I don’t talk about him, but naturally I am extremely proud of him as he is a very fine actor.”
And Tim, former landlord of The Boot Inn at Willington, whose office wall is adorned with Bond photographs, added: “I think it very unlikely that he will attend the Chester premiere given his unrelenting and punishing schedule.”
Daniel had wanted to be an actor from a young age even though he didn’t come from an acting background. However, Tim’s cousin Simon Jones starred in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Brideshead Revisited.
Daniel and Tim regard each other as ‘best friends’ as well as being father and son, and keep in touch regularly.
For tickets to the Chester advance screening, visit: www.marketingprojects.co.uk.
