When Bean met Mr Bond

Pierce Brosnan won't lose much sleep over the news, but the James Bond star has a new rival for the crown of Britain's suavest spy: Rowan Atkinson.

And while the man most famous for playing Mr Bean is scant competition for Bond in the suave stakes, Johnny English's love interest is just as ravishing as the most beautiful of Bond girls.

Australian Natalie Imbruglia, the former Neighbours actress turned pop star, will make her film debut in Johnny English as special agent Valdez, the object of the MI5 spy's furtive desires.

She said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be working with such incredible actors on my first movie."

Director Peter Howitt told the Evening Standard: "She is very sweet. We didn't cast her automatically, though, she won through on merit."

And John Malkovich, the Standard can reveal, will play millionaire French megalomaniac Sauvage, a villain bent on world domination.

"He didn't audition," conceded Mr Howitt. "We flew to America so he could audition us!" He said of the Bond spoof: "We see the difference between how good English thinks he is and how good he really is."