People: Oct. 24, 2005

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Charming British accent? Check. Tuxedo-ready shoulders? Check. Minimal prior blockbuster experience? Check. Liverpudlian DANIEL CRAIG, 37, possessed all the prerequisites to collect the next license to kill from the producers of the James Bond films last week. He also brings one novel quality to the $4 billion franchise: a blond pate--less obvious here, thanks to hair gel and lighting. The naming of Craig, best known for his roles in last year's gangster caper Layer Cake and as Paul Newman's son in 2002's Road to Perdition, ends the papal-succession-like speculation about who will play Bond in the iconic character's 23rd movie, Casino Royale (not to be confused with the 1967 parody movie of the same name). Producers dropped the fifth Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 52, to find a younger actor who could portray the spy at the start of his career. The good news for the craggily handsome Craig is that he will no longer want for fame, money or people wanting to buy him martinis. The bad news: Moneypenny.