London - Daniel Craig was picked to play James Bond because he looks like he could kill a man.
The actor is returning for his third film as the iconic British spy, Skyfall, and Dame Judi Dench - who stars opposite him as MI5 head M in the films - said he was picked because of how menacing he can look.
She said: "I think he feels like a Bond who could kill a man. That was a conscious decision, really, in the same way that you don't talk about Bond girls anymore. You talk about Bond women. It's moving with the times. There's a flintiness to Daniel. You'd be afraid of him, wouldn't you?
'Funny person'
"Though of course, I stare back. Two can play at that game. That's the fun thing about playing M, you can say whatever you like to him."
Judi added despite the fact he can be deadly serious on screen, Daniel is actually a funny person off set.
She added to GQ magazine: "Perhaps somebody who doesn't know him might think he was very serious, and he was tense when I first met him, but, gradually, you find he has this sense of humour, which is irresistible.
"Even if you do meet Daniel, you wouldn't know that, certainly not at first glance, or maybe even a first meeting."
Skyfall is set for release in the UK on 26 October and a month later in South Africa on 30 November.
Watch the Skyfall trailer here:
The actor is returning for his third film as the iconic British spy, Skyfall, and Dame Judi Dench - who stars opposite him as MI5 head M in the films - said he was picked because of how menacing he can look.
She said: "I think he feels like a Bond who could kill a man. That was a conscious decision, really, in the same way that you don't talk about Bond girls anymore. You talk about Bond women. It's moving with the times. There's a flintiness to Daniel. You'd be afraid of him, wouldn't you?
'Funny person'
"Though of course, I stare back. Two can play at that game. That's the fun thing about playing M, you can say whatever you like to him."
Judi added despite the fact he can be deadly serious on screen, Daniel is actually a funny person off set.
She added to GQ magazine: "Perhaps somebody who doesn't know him might think he was very serious, and he was tense when I first met him, but, gradually, you find he has this sense of humour, which is irresistible.
"Even if you do meet Daniel, you wouldn't know that, certainly not at first glance, or maybe even a first meeting."
Skyfall is set for release in the UK on 26 October and a month later in South Africa on 30 November.
Watch the Skyfall trailer here: