Casino Royale director Martin Campbell was concerned that Daniel Craig wasn't handsome enough to play James Bond.
Following Pierce Brosnan's retirement as 007 after Die Another Day, producers started the casting process to find the next 007. Eventually, Craig was selected, with his performance in crime drama Layer Cake a major contributing factor to the decision.
Fans weren't happy with the choice initially, as the blond-haired, blue-eyed Craig was a deviation from the look of past Bonds.
Campbell had reservations, too.
"My only reticence with Daniel... he was a really superb actor, there's no doubt about that... it was the fact that with people like Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan was that they were all traditional looking Bonds. All handsome guys, all sexy, all very attractive to women and so forth," he told The Express.
Who is the bookies' favourite to be the next James Bond?
"Daniel was obviously tougher and ruggeder, but he wasn't a traditional handsome guy. So I just thought about that for a minute and apart from that, absolutely it was always him."
Craig would go on to lead the franchise through its most commercially successful period. After Casino Royale, he starred in Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die.
His version of 007 actually died in No Time to Die, which means a new actor will portray the character in the next movie.
How is the next Bond chosen?
Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are deep into the casting process for the next Bond currently. At the moment, the two favourites to win the role are Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Damson Idris.
Campbell has provided an insight into the casting process for Bond, and he described it as very democratic.
"The way they work with Bond and it's pretty terrific is when they decide on the actor and you audition – in our case, it was eight people – it's very democratic. You sit around a table, eight or nine of you," the director explained.
"It was myself and the producers, casting director etc etc. And you go through the eight people and you put your hand up as you talk through each person and ultimately everybody has to be unanimous in their decision, if you see what I mean."
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