Daniel Craig is most notably known for his work in revolutionizing the James Bond franchise, but it's his personal life that keeps the mystery and intrigue alive long after his final stand as the legendary character. Craig debuted as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, holding the role for fifteen years and bringing the illustrious run to a close with the delayed release of No Time To Die in 2021. But it's his role as a father that truly stands the test of time.
Born in 1992 to Craig and his ex-wife Fiona Loudon, Ella Loudon grew up sheltered from the public eye while ascending to forge a successful career as a model and actress. Aside from being Daniel Craig's eldest daughter, Ella Loudon is most notably known for her often-sizzling Instagram posts, modeling career, and roles in smaller films such as Can't Let It Go and The Things We Left Unsaid. Nevertheless, the overarching dynamics of fame and fortune can really throw a wrench into the personal lives of those in the limelight, so just how close are the father-daughter duo?
What Was Life Like For Daniel Craig's Daughter Ella Loudon Growing Up?
Ella Loudon spent most of her childhood living in London after her parents divorced and often felt divided between the two. Nevertheless, her parents did make strong attempts to provide her with a childhood that was as normal as possible. As reported by the Daily Mail, Loudon eventually landed in a boarding school in Massachusetts when she was 17 years old.
From there, she attended NYU in an attempt to kick off her acting career. The rising actress eventually dropped out of school after her first year, but the move offered the first glimpse into her intentions of entering show business.
Loudon later explained that she was suffering from episodes of depression and her head wasn't in the right place to pursue an acting career when she initially enrolled in NYU. Fortunately, those closest to her picked up on her struggles, and with the help of her family, she was able to get through those tougher times. Loudon shared:
"You might have the most wonderful people around you and who love you dearly, but you are still blinded to that. I was completely blinded to that. I felt so very alone and isolated myself, but, my family noticed, and they took acting for me in getting me help."
She eventually picked herself up and moved on to work in a number of theater productions with Shakespeare & Company, including Cymbeline and an onstage production of Macbeth.
Another indication that Craig and his daughter have a strong father-daughter bond is the relationship between Craig's current wife and his oldest daughter. When Craig and Hollywood starlet Rachel Weisz married in 2011, Loudon was one of only four people present at their secret ceremony. Loudon has also touted Weisz on her social media accounts, sharing a post about her esteemed actress stepmother being honored at a Massachusetts film festival.
Nevertheless, things clearly weren't always so black and white for Loudon growing up. But in commemoration of Craig's 50th Birthday, Loudon shared an image of her and her father, scribed with the caption, "It's my pop's 50th. Bloody proud and love you always and forever. Happy f****** birthday. Love from your little nightmare." Combined with a classic black-and-white filter, the post in its entirety clearly illuminates their unique father-daughter bond.
How Does Daniel Craig Balance Fame, Fortune, And Family?
In an interview with Candis Magazine in its November 2021 issue, Daniel Craig revealed that he would not be leaving vast amounts of his fortune to his children. Although he is far from the first Hollywood star to declare such an idea, Craig delved deeper into his mindset on the subject by stating, "Isn't there an old adage that if you die a rich person, you've failed?"
Ultimately, Craig views it as being distasteful to leave massive amounts of money to heirs. He went on to share, "I don't want to leave great sums to the next generation. I think inheritance is quite distasteful. My philosophy is get rid of it or give it away before you go."
But no matter what his view is on the topic of inheritance, his ideology doesn't appear to have any sway over how daughter Ella sees her father or that it impacts their relationship in any negative way.
It's no secret that Craig places an immense focus on keeping his personal life private, but the actor does make rare public appearances alongside his oldest daughter. The father-daughter duo has been spotted enjoying a meal out on the town from time to time as well as attending film premieres.
In 2019, Craig and Loudon appeared together on the red carpet at the London Film Festival for the premiere of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Craig sported a blue tuxedo while posing joyously alongside his daughter, who donned a diving black tuxedo dress. Another photo shows Craig stepping away from his daughter, so she could take a solo shot and garner some of the attention.
In the same light, Loudon's modeling career is consistently heating up, and while his daughter's photos can be quite provocative at times, the illustrious Bond star has always been proud and supported her ambitions. In fact, the starlet released a series of photos recreating her father's famous beach scene from his 2006 Casino Royale debut.
In her mock-up, Loudon prances out of the water wearing a skimpy orange bikini top and white bottoms. Another image in the series shows her donning an all-white bikini, with a third revealing a plunging and stunning black one-piece.
At the end of the day, growing up with an uber-famous parent can imminently be a cause for concern. But in this case, it seems that Daniel Craig's philosophy of keeping his personal life private has paid off in the long run. It's openly clear that the father-daughter duo have a unique bond transcending the limelight and that they have skirted the all-too-familiar perilous influence Hollywood can have on famous families.
