10 Actors Who Refused To Use Stunt Doubles For Epic Fight Scenes

An actor who learned his trade on the stage in drama school, Daniel Craig certainly didn’t establish his acting career as a staple of the action genre. Splitting his time between film, television and theatre since 1992 helped develop his abilities as a performer in various roles, with Craig appearing in historical film Elizabeth (1998), blockbuster Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and crime drama Layer Cake (2004), to name but a few.

De Bankolé, on the other hand, had a more unorthodox route into acting. A master’s degree holder in physics and mathematics with a pilot license, it was a chance encounter with a French director which led to him enrolling in drama school.

James Bond is described by 007 creator Ian Fleming as a master of no particular fighting style, with his training in jiu jitsu and boxing. Craig, however, trained in Krav Maga in order to develop his street fighting and self-defence skill for his role as the spy. The actor then trained with former Royal Marine Simon Waterson to develop his strength, stamina and speed. This was done through powerlifting heavy weights, with various compound movements added to the training for dynamism.

All of Craig’s training is illustrated in Bond’s fight with villain Steven Obanno (De Bankolé) in the second act of the film, as Bond’s martial arts skill comes to the fore in a compelling scene. Bond's use of the rear naked choke submission to neutralise Obanno is demonstrative of Craig's formal self-defence training for his role in the film.