Following last week's reports that the search for the next James Bond has been whittled down to a shortlist of four contenders, this weekend the British press revealed who the final four candidates are: Goran Visnjic (33), Henry Cavill (22), Alex O'Lachlan (28) and Ewan Stewart (47).

An "insider" told The Sunday Mirror, "All four are among the most impressive would-be Bonds we've ever encountered. They show style, sophistication and have a natural air of the shaken-but-not-stirred secret agent - and the ability to make women swoon".

As MI6 revealed last week, the "top-secret tests took place at Pinewood studios near London over three days". 29 year-old British actress Camilla Power, well known to UK soap fans from her role in Emmerdale, screentested with the potential 007's, using the Tatiana/Bond love scene from "From Russia With Love"

The report concluded, "the shortlist has surprised people because there is no huge star. Bosses want whoever wins the role to become Bond in people's minds, which they wouldn't achieve with a bigger star."

Alex O'Lachlan
Born: 1977
Nationality: Australian
Height: ?

Perhaps the least known of the four screen-tested, Alex O'Lachlan was born in Australia, where he also began his film career. He has starred in little-known films Oyster Farmer and Man-Things, and has been tipped as "the new Russell Crowe". O'Lachlan recently emigrated from Australia to Los Angeles to further his film career.

Selected Filmography: Feed, Man-Thing, Oyster Farmer

Henry Cavill
Born: May 5th 1983
Nationality: British (Jersey)
Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)

The seventeen-year-old English actor from the Channel Island of Jersey was the main player in Stowe School's drama productions, where his roles included Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sonny in the musical Grease, and Hamlet in 40 Minutes, which he also directed. Since The Count of Monte Cristo, Cavill has starred in Laguna opposite Joe Mantegna, and recently completed I Capture the Castle, playing Stephen, the romantic lead.

Selected Filmography: The Count of Monte Cristo, Hellraiser, I Capture the Castle, Murderball

Ewan was born in Glasgow (birth name Andrew Ewan Stewart), and is the son of the late famous Scottish folk singer Andy Stewart. Ewan was educated at Edinburgh's Murchiston Boarding School from 1966 - 1974. Ewan left Scotland to move to London in 1975 and started working in theatres as well as studying drama. Ewan's first TV appearance was in an add for Scottish "Bluebell" matches. Ewan's first major TV appearance was in 1979 in the TV remake of All Quiet on the Western Front (1979) (TV), with Richard Thomas, and Ernest Borgnine. Ewan is married and lives in London with his wife, UK actress Clare Byam-Shaw, and his two children, Thomas and Eleanor.

Selected Filmography: Young Adam, Titanic, Rob Roy, Who Dares Wins

Goran Visnjic

Alex O'Lachlan

Henry Cavill