Licenced to thrill: Bond girl Olga's racy past is revealed

Kurylenko and British newcomer Gemma Arterton have been chosen as the sexy sidekicks for Daniel Craig's James Bond in the forthcoming movie.

Unknown Ukrainian model-turned-actress Kurylenko has beaten scores of Hollywood stars to land the female lead in the new film.

Kurylenko will be well-prepared for any love scenes with Craig after appearing full-frontal nude in 2006 movie Le Serpent.

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In the Eric Barbier movie, Kurylenko plays a model who gets caught up in a blackmail plot.

In her careers as a top European model, Kurylenko has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns for such designers as Kenzo, Helena Rubenstein and Just Cavalli. Her magazine covers include US Glamour, French Elle and Marie Claire.

Kurylenko recently starred in the movie Hitman with Elijah Wood and also in a segment of the movie, Paris Je T'Aime.

A mere six months after graduating from Rada, 21-year-old Arterton has been named as MI6 agent in the movie, codenamed Bond 22.

The daughter of a welder and a cleaner from Gravesend in Kent, Miss Arterton made her film debut last year, in Stephen Poliakoff's Capturing Mary.

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She played Rosaline in Love's Labours Lost at the Globe Theatre, appeared as Kelly the naughty head girl in the remake of St Trinian's and this year she will appear in Guy Ritchie's latest gangster film RocknRolla.

Despite this she claims to be uncomfortable with the trappings of fame and has said in the past: "It's not me, although I suppose it comes with the job."

When offered a chauffeur-driven car, she said: "I just don't want it. Can I get on the Tube, please and go home?"

Miss Arterton shares the same agent as Daniel Craig, who had the final say when casting her predecessor Eva Green - another unknown - in Casino Royale.

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The two actresses had been cast in preference to a list of names including the likes of Cameron Diaz and Lindsay Lohan to star in Daniel Craig's second Bond movie.

Producers of the franchise had been lining up a big name to give the second movie in Craig's tenure a big show business push.

Yet it was felt that the actor had made such a great impact with Casino Royale that his female counterpart could come with no particularly impressive background in film.

Commenting on the announcement of filming which started yesterday at Pinewood Studios in London, producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said: "We are fortunate to continue in the Bond tradition of attracting the finest international actors for our starring roles.

"Olga Kurylenko will play the dangerously alluring Camille, who challenges Bond and helps him to come to terms with the emotional consequences of Vesper's betrayal."

Daniel Craig is considered to have invigorated the Bond franchise with his visceral performance in Casino Royale which garnered a raft of flattering reviews. Craig, as was revealed in this paper, recently was awarded a £25million contract to make another four Bond movies.

The casting of two virtual unknowns continues the tradition of Bond producers choosing less established actresses for the coveted part, including Ursula Andress in Dr No, Jane Seymour in Live and Let Die and Eva Green in Casino Royale.

Also returning from Casino Royale will be Judi Dench who plays M, Jeffrey Wright who plays Felix Leiter and Giancarlo Giannini who plays Mathis.

It is thought the new film will take up where Casino Royale left off and will be loosely based on the Ian Fleming short story Risico, where Bond is dispatched to infiltrate a drug ring flooding Britain with heroin.

Producers last week confirmed French actor Mathieu Amalric will join the cast to play Bond's main adversary.

Filming started on Monday at Pinewood Studios in London, with shoots already set up in Italy, Austria and Panama.