Daniel Craig stays cautious on the James Bond rumours, but does not rule himself out

Sometimes you just have to go to the horse's mouth.

If he was offered the job, would British actor Daniel Craig become the new James Bond? He says he's not sure.
"Daniel Craig, are you the next James Bond?" - asked the Houston Chronicle.

Not to call British star Craig a horse. It's just that in the long-running debate over who should play 007 in Casino Royale, due late next year, Craig has emerged as one of the favorites in the British press and with bookmakers. So, with Craig in Texas, we couldn't pass up the chance to ask the question on every Bond fan's mind. Having been asked 12 million times in the past few weeks, Craig knew it was coming.

"I don't know," he said without hesitation. "It's kind of out of my hands. I don't know. I mean, there are a couple of names going around."



Hmmm. Did that sound like a firm denial?

"If I was to be (Bond)," he continued, "and I'm not saying I am, I couldn't tell you anyway. Believe me, I couldn't tell you. So the answer is ... I'm in a group of names. It's a high-class problem to have."

With all due respect, that sounds a bit like waffling to us.

Whether he replaces Pierce Brosnan as Bond or not, Craig, best known among U.S. fans for roles in The Jacket and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, is about to get more exposure. He recently finished shooting Every Word Is True in Austin for Texas-born director Douglas McGrath (Emma). In the film about Truman Capote researching the classic book In Cold Blood, Craig plays condemned murderer Perry Smith, the man Robert Blake played in the 1967 film. Every Word also features Gwyneth Paltrow, Sandra Bullock, Sigourney Weaver and Jeff Daniels.

And Craig is about to become better known to U.S. audiences as the star of the British crime film Layer Cake, which opens in Houston May 27. Craig is riveting in the role.

But back to Bond. Would the blond take it if it were offered to him?

"I don't know," Craig said. "That's the truth of it, I really don't know. It would be difficult not to give it really serious thought."

Yes, it would be hard to turn down a role that for Sean Connery and Brosnan led to fame, better films and bigger paychecks.

In addition to Craig, the leading Bond contenders of late have been Clive Owens (King Arthur) and, ironically, Brosnan himself. All three have frequently denied having landed the part. The latest rumblings were heard last week when the New York Post quoted Dame Judi Dench, who plays Bond's boss M, as saying, "(Brosnan will) be doing it again, and it'll be announced come summer."

Dench, however, may be politicking in a campaign that pits Eon Productions, which makes the Bond films, against Sony, which releases the movies. Sony is thought to want Brosnan, while Eon boss Barbara Broccoli is said to want to avoid Brosnan's $20 million-plus price tag as well as to take the series in a more realistic direction.

If Eon wins, advantage Craig.

"I know Barbara Broccoli; I've known her for years," he said. "So the discussions are sort of ... you know."

Chummy?

"There's nothing to say on that level. But I do know them and I have talked to them, but there's no decision made as yet."

But he didn't say no.

Thanks to `Kyvan` for the alert.

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