Ralph Fiennes: Daniel Craig is the definitive James Bond

Bang Showbiz

4 July 2016

Ralph Fiennes used to think that Sir Sean Connery was the definitive James Bond but after working with Daniel Craig he thinks he's the best 007

Ralph Fiennes thinks Daniel Craig is the definitive James Bond.

The 53-year-old actor played M opposite current 007 Craig in the last two movies, 'Skyfall' and 'Spectre', and admits he has been very impressed with his interpretation of the iconic big screen character.

Fiennes used to think original Bond Sir Sean Connery - who played the spy in seven films, including 'Goldfinger', between 1962 and 1983 - was the best but after working with Craig, 48, he's changed his opinion.

In an interview with the Metro newspaper, he said: "I always thought Sean Connery was the definitive Bond. Now I'm not so sure.

"I think Daniel is totally inside Bond. I think he's made it his own. I feel there's interior stuff in Daniel's Bond, there's an inner life. (There's) Interior tension that I'm not sure I've seen any of the other Bonds."

Fiennes earned his reputation on the big screen playing villains, including real life Nazi concentration camp commander Amon Goth, evil wizard Voldemort in the 'Harry Potter' films and serial killer Francis Dolarhyde in 'Red Dragon'.

However, after battling Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) as 'The Dark Lord', Fiennes decided he wanted to stop portraying evil characters and instructed his agents to find him some lighter roles.

He explained: "I just didn't want to play malign spirits. I'd had enough. I lost interest in going, 'Try to see it from their point of view, they're not really bad, they've got a good side.' You have got to be in the part playing inside it, trying to see the world from that person's point of view, and it's hard. It's a weird one when you have a character who, fundamentally as myself, you don't like.

"I eventually said to my agents, 'No more bad guys. Don't even tell me. I don't care how much they're offering.' Voldemort seemed to be the end of the road for bad guys."