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Open in new tab Bodyguard on dramatic intervention
Daniel Craig’s bodyguard has told of the terrifying moment he wrestled a knife-wielding maniac away from Bond girl Monica Belucci.
Muscular Mino Zangrando stepped in to protect the Italian actress while he was looking after her on a trip to Venice.
The crazed fan ran towards Monica – who played an enemy agent’s widow in the last 007 film Spectre – holding a blade and a love letter he said he wanted to read her. Mino, 49, who is based in the Italian city fabled for its canals, said: “I had to act fast and drag him away. He got over-excited. “In that moment you never know what is going to happen, it can be dangerous.”
The scare came just weeks after a similar incident in which Mino intervened to protect Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood from a “madman” who threw himself into his arms.
As well as being a bodyguard, Mino is a personal trainer and has regularly worked with Bond actor Craig.
His wife Carla, also a personal trainer who tragically died of cancer in 2012, worked with the 49-year-old British star too.
Craig filmed in Venice for his first outing as James Bond in the 2006 movie Casino Royale.
Mino said: “Daniel is a very determined, basic man, he’s not like many stars I have worked with who think they are superior.
“He doesn’t put himself above anyone. He worked very intensively for an hour, with a lot of energy, non-stop, huge weights and pushed himself to the limit of his ability.
“Daniel would always come after a day’s work, six at night, so he was tired but he didn’t stop. He’s so focused.”
Mino said the latest 007 film, codenamed Bond 25, may be partly set in Venice and include exciting boat chases.
He said: “Spectre featured a car chase through Rome and I’ve been tipped James Bond is coming back to Venice. He has a long history with this city.”
Mino also knew Roger Moore, who filmed in Venice 40 years ago making moonraker. And describing 87-year-old Eastwood, who he worked with late in 2017, he said: “He’s an incredible man. “He had two heavy cases which I wanted to take for him but he thanked me and said he liked to carry his own things.”