Interviewers who complain that Craig lacks the urbane charm of Pierce Brosnan, or the gossipy camp of Roger Moore clearly misunderstand the actor's deadpan humour. He loathes pretentiousness, and can be extremely taciturn about his craft. "Self-promotion, for me, is like going to the dentist," he admits.

But friends paint a very different portrait. "The thing about Daniel is he's one of the most evolved people I've ever met," says the actor Nick Reding. "His compassion and his understanding of other people is always spot on. You say one tiny thing to him and he gets it immediately. He's one of the nicest people on the planet, without any question."

On screen, Craig exudes a weird beauty and with his handsome, craggy face and piercing blue eyes, he has a powerful effect on women. His Sylvia co-star, Gwyneth Paltrow, famously complained that all her female friends were smitten.

If Jude Law and Orlando Bloom embody heroic prettiness, Craig specialises in slow-burn sensuality. "He's a real man's man," says Maybury, "He has genuine machismo, but he's not afraid to express his sensitive, vulnerable side. He does wounded very well."

"What he doesn't do on screen is as important as what he does," says Vaughn. "Brave actors are the people who look like they're doing nothing, and then you cut it all together and there's a hell of a performance." And Craig likes to get his hands dirty: all the directors he has worked with credit him as a co-producer, involved in every decision from lighting to locations.

For Casino Royale, he underwent a punishing gym routine and went on a high-protein diet. His new physique, in figure-hugging trunks, has already drawn appreciation. He also scrubs up beautifully in the Bond black tie. But wandering around London when he's not filming, he's more likely to be low-key scruffy in jeans, his blonde hair tucked away under a beanie hat.

He avoids parties, preferring to drink at the Banker's Draught near his Victorian house in north London. And whereas Bond smoked Morland Specials, Craig prefers roll-ups. "He's strangely ego-less for an actor," says his friend Maybury, "and able to distance himself from the rigmarole and the palaver of celebrity."

"When I met Daniel, I thought, 'Oh Christ is he going to be a real, luvvie thespian?'," recalls Vaughn, "but after 10 minutes I discovered that we're both Harry Potter fans and our idea of a good evening is being left alone with a PlayStation."

"He's proudly independent in his reading tastes," laughs producer Kevin Loader, who has worked with Craig on everything from Our Friends in the North to Enduring Love. "He's either reading or listening to music all the time. He used to burn CDs for everyone on set with a wonderfully eclectic range of music on, but kind of like perfect taste."

"You do meet actors who have no life," says Reding, "but Daniel has a huge life, and many friends, and a fabulous girlfriend; he's extraordinarily well-rounded."