Olga Kurylenko

Olga Kurylenko is new Bond girl By Richard AlleyneLast Updated: 2:01pm GMT 08/01/2008Beautiful Soviet spies have been a mainstay of James Bond films but in the past they have usually been portrayed by western actresses. Olga Kurylenko will play the alluring spy Camille Even Tatiana Romanova, the double agent in From Russia With Love, was actually an Italian.Now in a reversal of tradition, Bond’s new sidekick will be played by a star of French film and television originally from the Ukraine.
It has been announced that Olga Kurylenko, 28, a supermodel turned actress, will be “leading lady” cast along side Daniel Craig in the latest 007 outing.

Miss Kurylenko, recently seen opposite Timothy Olyphant in video game spin-off Hitman, will star as the “dangerously alluring” Camille. The 5ft 8 inch model, who was discovered while on holiday in Moscow when she was 15, lives in Paris and has starred in a number of French television series and films. As well as Hitman, they include 2006’s Paris, Je T’aime opposite Elijah Wood. The announcement of her role comes just days after the British actress Gemma Arterton, star of St Trinian’s was also named as a Bond girl. Filming on Bond 22 (the working title) has already started at Pinewood Studios, led by the Kite Runner director Marc Forster who also won an Oscar for Finding Neverland.The movie is due for release on 7 November.
The plot is expected to follow on from the events of Casino Royale, with Bond picking up the pieces after being double-crossed by Treasury agent Vesper Lynd. The Producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said Camille “challenges Bond and helps him come to terms with the emotional consequences of Vesper’s betrayal”.


Daniel Craig will star as the British superspy for the second time. Other returning cast members include Dame Judi Dench as M, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis. The French actor Mathieu Amarilic, currently winning plaudits for his role in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, will play the villainous Dominic Greene, while 21-year-old Arterton makes her debut as MI6's Agent Fields. Casino Royale, released in 2006, made almost $600m (?300m) at box offices around the world. Miss Kurylenko is well qualified is well qualified for her role in the action film. For Hitman she spent six months learning Chinese martial arts. She has said that she wants to follow in the footsteps of her countrywoman Milla Jovovich who has successfully swapped the catwalk for Hollywood. Meanwhile a set of stamps to mark the centenary of James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s birth was launched yesterday.They feature cover designs from six of Fleming’s famous 007 novels including Casino Royale, Dr No, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only and From Russia With Love..