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New 007 will have 'last laugh'
23/02/2006 07:25 - (SA)
Anna Tomforde
London - Ex-James Bond Pierce Brosnan and former Bond villain Christopher Lee have come to the defence of British actor Daniel Craig whose choice as the new 007 is attracting growing criticism.
Craig, 37, nicknamed "James Bland" by a British newspaper after his debut press conference last October, reportedly had his teeth knocked out during filming of a fight sequence for the new secret agent thriller Casino Royale in the Czech Republic.
The London Times reported on Wednesday that Craig, while driving an Aston Martin, would have to be furnished with an automatic version as he did not know how to operate a manual car.
James Bond fans angered by the decision to cast Craig as 007 have launched a website threatening to boycott the new film, it was revealed on Wednesday.
Mishaps part of the package
The website, www.craignotbond.com, calls on fans "to stop Sony and Eon [Productions] from ruining the future of James Bond by hiring Daniel Craig".
But former Bond star Brosnan defended his successor. "I think Daniel is a very fine actor," he said.
"I got stitched up and sewn up a few times, it just didn't get in the papers," Brosnan confessed at the UK premiere of his new film The Matador in London.
"These are rocky waters, but I think he will have the last laugh," Brosnan said of his successor.
"You get twisted some way or another if you throw yourself into it. There's going to be mishaps," added the 52-year-old star.
Craig, best-known for his roles in gangster thriller Layer Cake and the recent Spielberg drama Munich, was introduced as the sixth James Bond last October.
'Give him a chance'
"How can a short, blond actor with the rough face of a professional boxer and a penchant for playing killers, cranks, cads and gigolos pull off the role of a tall, dark, handsome and suave secret agent?" the website asked.
"This is what happens when you lose touch with public opinion. By casting Craig, Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have proven once and for all that they care little for the opinions of Bond fans."
Earlier this week, veteran actor Christopher Lee said the new Bond star had already been "condemned by the media" and should be given a chance.
"People should not pass judgment until they have seen the film," said 83-year-old Lee, a former Bond villain and a distant cousin of 007 creator Ian Fleming.
But he added that Brosnan had been "the closest" to Bond author Ian Fleming's creation. -Sapa-dpa
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South Africa
