English actor Daniel Craig, known for his portrayal of “Bond. James Bond,” was presented with the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year by Harrison Ford.

Daniel Craig is hailed as one of the finest actors of his generation on stage, screen and television. In summer 2011, Craig starred in “Cowboys & Aliens,” directed by Jon Favreau and also starring Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. Craig played Red Rackham in director Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” the animated adventure with a cast including Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, and Simon Pegg. Also in 2011, Craig starred in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” directed by David Fincher, he played lead character Mikael Blomkvist opposite Rooney Mara.

In 2009, Craig returned to the stage for a twelve week Broadway run of “A Steady Rain.” Craig played opposite Hugh Jackman in this contemporary American play based on two Chicago cops who recount their conflicting stories of a harrowing experience. The same year, Craig starred on the big screen in Edward Zwick’s critically acclaimed “Defiance,” based on the true story of four brothers in Nazi occupied Poland. In 2008, Craig made his second outing as James Bond in “Quantum of Solace,” directed by Marc Forster and co-starring Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, and Gemma Arterton.

Born in 1968 in Chester and raised near Liverpool, Craig was first introduced to theatre at The Liverpool Everyman. When he reached his late teens, he moved to London to join the National Youth Theatre, before continuing his training at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Craig has since secured eclectic roles in television, theatre and film, and is now regarded as one of Britain’s finest actors.

Craig’s earlier film credits include “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” “Elizabeth,” “Hotel Splendide,” “I Dreamed of Africa,” “Love and Rage,” “Obsession,” and “The Power of One.” In 2002, Craig garnered critical acclaim for his role in Sam Mendes’ “Road to Perdition,” and the following year, he was seen in “The Mother,” based on the screenplay by Hanif Kureishi and directed by Roger Michell. In 2004, Craig starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in “Sylvia,” which tells of the lives of poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. In 2005, he was seen supporting Adrien Brody and Keira Knightly in “The Jacket,” in Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut “Layer Cake,” and in Roger Michell’s critically acclaimed “Enduring Love” (based on the bestselling novel by Ian McEwan).

The following year, audiences saw him in Stephen Spielberg’s Oscar®-nominated film “Munich,” and he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Douglas McGrath’s “Infamous,” which also starred Sandra Bullock and Gwyneth Paltrow. In 2006, he made his James Bond debut in “Casino Royale,” for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor and an Empire Film Award in the same category; the film became the highest grossing in the history of the 007 franchise. In 2007, audiences saw Craig in “The Golden Compass,” co-starring Nicole Kidman and Eva Green, and the following year in “Flashbacks of a Fool,” directed by Baillie Walsh.

A highly accomplished stage actor, Craig’s theatre credits include leading roles in “Hurlyburly” with the Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic, “Angels in America” at The National Theatre, “A Number” at the Royal Court alongside Michael Gambon, and “A Steady Rain” opposite Hugh Jackman on Broadway.

Craig has numerous notable television credits, including the BBC adaptation of Michael Frayn’s award-winning “Copenhagen,” “Our Friends in the North,” “Sword of Honour,” “The Ice House,” “The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders,” “Kiss and Tell,” “Sharpe’s Eagle,” and in the two-part BBC film “Archangel,” based on Robert Harris’ book of the same name.