Usually, it's the Bond movie villains who have plans for world domination, but this time, it's Bond girl Caterina Murino who is likely to conquer the globe. You'll meet her in November's Casino Royale, where she plays Solange, wife of villain Dimitrios, who gets her revenge on her abusive husband by sleeping with a certain British spy. Echoing Dr. No, Murino does original Bond girl Ursula Andress one better, making an iconic surfside entrance wearing a skimpy green bikini and riding a white horse, a scene that promises to make moviegoers — and casting directors worldwide — take notice.
It's already been a rapid rise to stardom for the 28-year-old Murino, who might have become a doctor had she not failed her medical school entrance exam. Instead, she entered the Miss Italy contest and finished in the top five, which led to modeling, which led to commercials, which led to stage work, which led to movie stardom in Italy, Spain, and France, which led to her audition for Casino director Martin Campbell.
Of course, being a Bond girl is no guarantee of future career success. (Anyone seen Izabella Scorupco or Maryam d'Abo lately?) Still, Murino is approaching her big break like a politician: She's already in Los Angeles campaigning for roles. Last week, she was in New York, courting magazines for potential photo spreads. She visited the EW office, where she shook hands with nearly everyone on the editorial staff. She also took time to talk about the already controversial Casino, what it's done for her career and her charity work, and her own formidable casino skills.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It's ironic that you landed the role of horsewoman Solange, since a horse almost caused you to blow your audition.
CATERINA MURINO: It was very funny because the day before, I had an accident with a horse. I was preparing for an Italian movie, and I fell down. I broke a rib on my right side. I was in the hospital. I was completely under drugs. I went there to the casting, and I couldn't walk. It was unusual; the Bond girl is so full of energy, and I can't walk! But Martin Campbell called me back to go to London and do the same scene with him. And I got the role.
When I read the script, 120 pages, there was only one f---ing horse, and it was mine. So I went back to riding horses. At first, it was just a small pony, just walking, because I am so afraid I am going to fall. I was shooting in the Bahamas for a month. For all month, I was riding a horse every day. I had a great teacher who pushed me every day to take off the fear. So everything you see is me. I don't use a stunt woman: I ride the horse on the beach with the green bikini.
What is Solange like?
Solange is not a typical Bond girl because she doesn't have an action scene. I have only the scene with the horse and the bikini on the beach. I don't try to kill James Bond. I tried to give some humanity to Solange. A lot of women have been hit by their husbands. I take revenge by sleeping with James Bond. Nice revenge! If all women who've been hit by their husbands can resolve in that way, it would be very nice.
How do you respond to criticism from fans that Daniel Craig is miscast as Bond?
I am happy that people speak bad about Daniel. They are going to be so surprised.
Before I went to the Bahamas, I saw Munich. After I came out of the theater, I was so scared. I thought, How can I play with him? How can I rise to his level? But he was such a professional, and he helped me so much. I am very glad I worked with him.
Daniel Craig is such a great actor — he was the right choice. [His] James Bond is not as much of a cartoon. There's less special effects, more stunt scenes, to make the movie more real. Daniel is playing James Bond like a real actor, not just playful, like always. When Daniel kills somebody, he's a real killer. When he kissed me, it was so sexy and so real. You will see James Bond fall in love for the first time — unfortunately, not with me. For the first time, you will see James Bond with blood in his face. I don't remember Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan with blood in his face when he came out from a fight. He's so violent, and we never see James Bond violent. So modern. It's completely different from the 20 movies before.
Solange spends a fair amount of time in the casino. How are you at casino games?
I'm quite lucky. I went to Las Vegas for New Year's five years ago. I won a lot of money playing roulette and the slot machines. During the shoot in the Bahamas, I played a lot of poker, and I'm quite good. A lot of people told me I have a classic poker face. The crew started to play with me, and they started to be scared because at the end, I always win. I don't play all the time. We played just for fun, but in Las Vegas, I won, like, 4,000 Euros.
Are you worried about the possible career jinx of the Bond girl role?
To not kill my career as an actress after James Bond, I must make the right choice for my next movie. I'm very glad to be a Bond girl. I'm very glad to be a part of history. I'll be very glad, when I am 70 years old, to say to my child I was a Bond girl. But after the 17th of November, the page will turn, and I hope to be a normal European, international actress.
So what did you choose to do next?
In 2007, 2008, I have six movies, three Italian and three French. They are completely different, not very commercial movies. The three Italian movies, they are on my shoulders completely, and I hope to be good.
I am thankful to be a Bond girl because one of my movies — we've been working on it for two years — is about a girl in 1914 in Sicily who tries to be a priest, and she makes war against the Church. I live in Italy, it's an Italian movie, and if you go against the Vatican, it's impossible to find money. And now, because I am a Bond girl, we've found the money.
How has being a Bond girl affected your work as a goodwill ambassador for AMREF, a charity that provides medicine to the needy in Africa?
To be a Bond girl, to be an actress, to be a little more famous than before, can help something that's very important to me, like Africa. They asked me to be an ambassador three months ago. I told them I was glad to help.
I was in Kenya 10 days ago. I saw horrible things; I saw beautiful things. I saw a huge slum in Nairobi where babies live in the middle of s---, no water, no toilet. My association tries to give medical help because a lot of people have AIDS and tuberculosis. In the afternoon, I went to a camp where there are baby orphans because the parents died of AIDS. They are from 4 years old to 15 years old. They have nothing, no television, just a school. And everybody knows James Bond. I was so surprised. A 14-year-old boy asked me, ''Can you say hello for me to James?'' So I said hello for him to Daniel. [Bond producer] Barbara Broccoli was so impressed.
So you got to help people medically, even though you didn't get to become a doctor.
Exactly. That is what I felt when I was there in the middle of these babies. I believe in God. I am a Christian. Now I understand why I failed the exam. I am here and I can help the children in a different way. Life gives us different occasions to give back.
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