Crowe, Unknown Mentioned as Next Bond

April 23, 2001 -- Pierce Brosnan is still contracted for at least one more James Bond film, but that isn't stopping speculation about who might replace the dashing Irishman as the next 007, with names both famous (Russell Crowe) and obscure (Gerard Butler) being tossed about.

Weighing in on the best candidate are Bond crewmember Debbie McWilliams, who has cast six 007 movies, and five-time Bond director John Glen; both drop the name of a certain Aussie actor.

McWilliams says that the right actor to play Bond must be "devastatingly handsome, incredibly fit, and available." Who fits that bill? "Russell Crowe, maybe, but I think it will be somebody less well known than [that]."

Glen also mentions Crowe: "I can't think of anyone better than Russell [Crowe] to fill [Brosnan's] shoes. … [He seems] capable of savagely bumping off the baddies with a wry comment."

McWilliams dashed the hopes of Bond-obsessed Brit singer Robbie Williams, who vaguely resembles Sean Connery, by telling Internet radio station Netfm.com, "Bless him, I don't think he's quite what we're looking for," according to the BBC.

And in the "less well known" department, we have Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who, according to Scotland's Daily Record, is set to meet with series producer Barbara Broccoli to discuss donning the old Bond tux.

Never heard of Butler? He was the millennial bloodsucker in Dracula 2000 and a relatively romantic Hun in the television miniseries Attila.

Let's review the 32-year-old's Butler's qualifications: First off, he's Scottish, which would please purists, since the first Bond was hirsute Scottish he-man Sean Connery. And as Ian Fleming wrote him, the suave superspy is half-Scottish. Secondly, Butler stands 6 feet, 2 inches tall, which isn't necessarily a job requirement, but it doesn't hurt either.