The World (of Bond) is not enough for Daniel Craig. Even though the British movie star's involvement in the 007 series, which began with his first outing in the 2006 Casino Royale remake, is likely to earn him a cool £30m over a decade, he's not putting all his eggs in one franchise basket.
Craig, age 43, is currently working on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the Hollywood reworking of the Swedish film based on the first of the best-selling Millennium Trilogy crime novels by Stieg Larsson.
He is reported to be earning $6m (£3.6m) for the part as protagonist Mikael Blomkvist and if he lives up to expectations, it could lead to him reprising the role if and when the later books are brought to the screen.
The steely-eyed blond is in constant demand by film-makers, with two other films in the release pipeline this year, including science fiction story Cowboys and Aliens, which earned him a reported $6m (£3.6m) in a role alongside veteran Harrison Ford and thriller Dream Home, for which his fee was $5m (£3m), playing opposite British actress Rachel Weisz, with whom he is now an item in real life.
It is no wonder Craig grabbed these prized roles when he could, since until recently the future of the Bond series was in doubt as its debt-ridden backer MGM battled against financial collapse.
But MGM and Sony Pictures signed a new financing and distribution deal in April which is thought to secure the spy series' future and should see the 23rd movie (yet to be named but to be directed by Sam Mendes) released at the end of 2012 - in time to mark the grand finale of a year of celebrations observing the 50th anniversary of Dr No, the first film in the cult series, starring Sean Connery.
Craig was initially a controversial replacement for Piers Brosnan - being blond and a bit too serious. But Craig won over the sceptics and Casino Royale became the highest grossing Bond film with takings of nearly $600m (£366m).
Born in Cheshire on 2 March 1968 to a merchant seaman turned pub landlord and a teacher, he went on to train with the National Youth Theatre in his teens, which included a stint in London when he made ends meet as a waiter.
Eventually he won a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican where he studied alongside Ewan McGregor.
He first came to prominence on television in the gritty drama Our Friends in the North broadcast in 1996.
But his big money-spinning Hollywood break came with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001, where he played alongside Angelina Jolie. The film grossed $275m (£168m).
A string of lucrative film roles followed, including Road to Perdition which also starred Hollywood giants Paul Newman and Tom Hanks, then Sylvia, Layer Cake, Munich, Infamous, Enduring Love, The Golden Compass and more.
Two years ago he went back to the stage to appear with Australian movie star Hugh Jackman in the successful Broadway drama A Steady Rain.
The play set a Broadway record for the highest weekly ticket sales of a non-musical play, with takings of nearly $1.2m (£730,000) for the week ending September 20, 2009.
It is thought Craig's bumper pay packets over the years have built him a nest egg in excess of $50m (£30m), with $18m (£11m) of that earned in 2010 alone, according to US website therichest.org.
He also supplements his income from endorsing products such as Omega watches and 007 based computer games.
In 2008, Craig - who gives time and money to charities including those supporting Aids victims, Help for Heroes and the RNLI - splashed out on a £4m home in Regent's Park and more recently invested in a New York penthouse worth $1.9m (£1.1m) for cash, according to the Daily Mail.
His Bond alter ego might like to chase villains in an Aston Martin but in the real world Craig is more likely to be seen behind the wheel of a more prosaic Lexus.