Seal

English pop singer Sealhenry Olumide Samuel, better known as Seal ("Love’s divine"), is to join the cast for Casino Royale, "News of the World" reports. According to the British paper, the husband of German super model Heidi Klum is going to play a henchman called "Solari".

What this news makes interesting is the fact that it is said that Seal is going to play an African money launderer. As revealed earlier by CBn, the subject of money-laundering is in fact a key element of the plot of Casino Royale: As in the novel, money won and lost at the gambling tables will have deadly implications for the Western world. Interesting, too, is the fact that Casino Royale was originally supposed to be shot in South Africa.

German tabloid "BILD", who picked up the story earlier today, quotes an insider: "Seal has auditioned several times for this film and everyone was delighted!" BILD also did a very clever thing (well, for a tabloid, that is) by asking Eon Productions if there was something to the rumour. A spokesperson said that "We can’t comment yet".

Born February 19, 1963, In London, England, Seal worked as designer of leather clothing and as an electrical engineer, before he became a pop singer in the late 1980s. He has received several Brit Awards and Grammy nominations.

Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production begins shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it will be filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

Seal as a henchman? Discuss this news in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond forum on the internet.