Rumor Has It

Okay, close your eyes and picture Ioan Gruffudd in a tux and ordering his martini, "shaken not stirred." Are you with me? Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom and countless other actors have been linked to the next Bond film, but the latest report (via IMDB) straight from a Fantastic Four press conference reveals that our own Horatio Hornblower just might be the new 007.

Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd is so determined to land the role of James Bond he's refusing to talk about the possibility for fear of jinxing his 007 dream. The Horatio Hornblower star was outed as the favorite to land the part at a press conference yesterday by Fantastic Four co-star Julian McMahon, who was among the names mentioned for the role. When Aussie McMahon was quizzed about the role, he stunned journalists by turning to Gruffudd and stating, "I think Ioan is playing Bond." But the Welsh actor would not be drawn into a conversation about the part: "I don't want to jinx it."

--Kim

From the Archives: Great Expectations and Then Some, Ioan Learns Yiddish and Shows Some Skin