Sean Connery gives nod of approval to new 007

Sean Connery thinks a blond Bond is just fine. The former 007 says Daniel Craig is a "terrific choice" as the new British superspy.

Some eyebrows were raised in October when producers cast the sandy-haired, relatively unknown Craig in the next James Bond film, "Casino Royale." But Connery, 75, told British Broadcasting Corp. television that he approved.

The respect is mutual. Craig told a news conference in October that Connery was his favorite 007. Connery was the first actor to play Bond, appearing in six films beginning with "Dr. No" in 1962. Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan have also starred as the womanizing, gadget-loving spy.

Connery said he'd left the role in part "because I got really fed up with the space stuff and special effects. I just found it getting more and more influential in the movies." "Casino Royale" is due in theaters next November, AP reports.

A. A.