JAMES BOND - BOND STAR CRAIG PICKS UP BEST ACTOR

BOND STAR CRAIG PICKS UP BEST ACTOR

JAMES BOND star DANIEL CRAIG picked up best actor for CASINO ROYALE at last night's (04FEB07) 34th annual Evening Standard British Film Awards - but DAME HELEN MIRREN lost out on the best actress award. Mirren, who is an overwhelming favourite to pick up the Best Actress Oscar for THE QUEEN at this month's US ceremony (25FEB), lost out to DAME JUDI DENCH for her performance as a manipulative schoolteacher in NOTES OF A SCANDAL. The best actor prize for Craig is his first award honouring his portrayal of the British superspy, which was both a critical and box office favourite. PAUL GREENGRASS' harrowing 9/11 drama UNITED 93 picked up the best film prize, while PETER MORGAN won the best screenplay award for his two scripts - The Queen and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. The Queen and MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE director STEPHEN FREARS received a special award "for making British film reverberate around the world." The Evening Standard awards are sponsored by London's afternoon newspaper and selected by a jury of film critics.