Bond star battled man flu at premiere

Daniel Craig attends the premiere of Skyfall in London. Photo / AP

Jumping from helicopters, chasing villains over rooftops and crashing through brick walls in speeding cars? No problem.

Just don't let James Bond catch a cold.

Last night as Daniel Craig arrived for the premiere of Skyfall the Bond star seemed to be battling a serious case of the sniffles.

Mopping sweat from his brow, looking pale and out of sorts, Craig, 44, was clearly wishing he was at home tucked up in bed.

Walking down the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall in London, even the company of his wife Rachel Weisz didn't seem to cheer him up.

At one point she leant over and brushed a stray hair off his face.

The man regarded as one of the sexiest 007s seemed in no mood to chat.

"To get in shape I go to the gym every day and do yoga. It is very boring," he said.

Hopefully he had more to say when he met Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at the premiere.

And while he may not have been feeling too glamorous, the Bond girls were there in all their glory.

Co-stars Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe, in red silk Vivienne Westwood, looked breathtaking as they led a parade of Bond girls from the past into the premiere.

Skyfall is the 23rd official Bond film, and Craig's third outing as the suave superspy.

Harris is Bond girl Eve, a field agent racked by self-doubt, Dench plays spy chief M, battling a crisis with roots in her past, and Bardem plays Raoul Silva, a Bond villain bent on revenge.

Bardem said he was drawn to the role of Bond bad guy after seeing Jaws, the steel-toothed henchman in 1979's Moonraker.

With some critics hailing the Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall as one of the best Bond films of the half-a-century-old franchise, Bardem said the series' appeal showed that "they have been doing something really right, starting with the actors who have played Bond.

"They have all brought their own flavour to it."

Also on hand were Ben Whishaw, who plays Q, and Berenice Marlohe, who plays Bond girl Severine, as well as Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton and model Kelly Brook.

Skyfall opens in New Zealand on November 22. Proceeds from Tuesday's royal gala are going to charities that help members of Britain's intelligence services.

- The Daily Mail with AP