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A Knight’s Tale director recalls Daniel Craig’s ‘fantastic’ audition

<p>A Knight’s Tale director recalls Daniel Craig’s ‘fantastic’ audition</p> (Getty Images)

A Knight’s Tale director recalls Daniel Craig’s ‘fantastic’ audition

(Getty Images)

Director Brian Helgeland has some fond memories about shooting A Knight's Tale, one of which involved a “fantastic” audition from Daniel Craig.

Giving an interview to Variety around the 2001 film's 20th anniversary, Helgeland, who wrote, produced, and directed the medieval-set romantic comedy starring Heath Ledger, said Craig “came in to read for Count Adhemar, and he was fantastic”.

“This was long before he was Bond, obviously,” he continued, before disclosing how he ultimately decided to go with actor Rufus Sewell for the role.

“He was just amazing. But I had already taken to Rufus Sewell for the role. I came close to changing my mind but it ultimately came down to Daniel was blond and Heath was blond and I though the contrast in looks with Heath and Rufus was better. And they became best friends, those two, they would carouse through Prague together.”

Helgeland also reminisced about casting James Purefoy, who at the time was rumoured to be in the running to play James Bond.

“I cast James Purefoy as Edward, the Black Prince, and I was like, ‘This guy is going to be James Bond.’ When he’d walk on the set, we’d all start singing the theme to James Bond, the ‘dun-dun-dun-dun.’ And he’d say, ‘Oh, stop!’”

Craig would go on to inhabit the Bond role, appearing in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and the forthcoming No Time to Die.

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