People

By Rebecca Winters Keegan

IDOL WORSHIP As American Idol gets down to the folks who can actually sing, we bet on these four in the finals:

PARIS BENNETT, 17 Fayetteville, Ga. Sounds like: Her grandma, gospel's Ann Nesby Judgment call: With a voice worthy of her Grammy-winning genes, Paris should rule the springtime Her odds: 3 to 1

ACE YOUNG, 25 Denver Sounds like: A Bee Gee Judgment call: His MTV-ready looks and lusty take on Father Figure turned the judges into doe-eyed little girls. Yes, Simon too His odds: 7 to 2

KATHARINE MCPHEE, 21 Los Angeles Sounds like: Norah Jones Judgment call: She's got the pipes of a Streisand, a voice-coach mom and girl-next-door appeal. Kelly Clarkson, watch your back Her odds: 6 to 1

TAYLOR HICKS, 29 Birmingham, Ala. Sounds like: Joe Cocker Judgment call: The soulful elder belter appeals to boomers and underdog lovers. Call him Season 5's gray horse His odds: 9 to 1

WHY DO FANS WANT TO JUNK THIS BOND?

Right about now we bet DANIEL CRAIG wishes he were still known simply as the coke dealer from Layer Cake or the hothead assassin from Munich. Instead, Craig, who picks up the tuxedo-modeling gig in November's James Bond movie, Casino Royale, is under siege from skeptical 007 fans. On a new website, Craignotbond.com angry fans ask why "a short, blond actor with the rough face of a professional boxer and a penchant for playing villains, killers, cranks, cads and gigolos" ever got the iconic part. Pining for a little Pierce Brosnan--style suavity, the fans say they plan to boycott the film. Around the time the online protest emerged, Craig, who is really almost 6 ft. tall, knocked out two teeth filming a fight scene in Prague and faced the emasculating rumor that he couldn't handle his Aston Martin's stick shift. Ex-Bonds Brosnan and Roger Moore spoke up for the new recruit. "He's a helluva good actor," said Moore, noting that no one has yet seen Craig in the role. "So why attack him?" See, Daniel, at least there are spies who love you.

THE LAST SKATER STANDING

At a Winter Olympics where hyped athletes tumbled from grace, a little-known Japanese figure skater became a surprise star by keeping her tush off the ice. SHIZUKA ARAKAWA beat favorites Sasha Cohen of the U.S., who won the silver, and Irina Slutskaya of Russia, who took home the bronze. Arakawa, 24, considered retiring in 2004 and finished ninth at last year's world championships. But she stuck with it to please her dad and wound up scoring Japan's first figure-skating gold and becoming a national hero. Happy now, Mr. Arakawa? --By Alice Park

Q&A KEIRA KNIGHTLEY

Keira Knightley's performances as a Jane Austen heroine in Pride & Prejudice and a bounty hunter in Domino can now be seen on DVD.

You almost didn't put yourself forward for Pride & Prejudice, which earned you your first Oscar nomination. Why? I have been obsessed by the book since I was 7. I had dollhouses, one called Longbourne and one Pemberley. When I heard they were doing a new version, I was terrified I would f___ it up.

Do you prefer the North American ending or the British one? The British one' -- cause you expect them to kiss at the end, and in the British one they don't. I think that's kind of lovely.

You had just four days off between these films. Did you practice kicking in doors in your ball gowns? It was the stupidest thing I've ever done. The second half of Pride & Prejudice, I was getting up an hour before call time and training on my nunchaku.

How did growing up in a show-business family prepare you for life as an actress? I got to see the profession for what it is. You can be blown up and blown down in a second. Sometimes I think you shouldn't have that perspective, though. Sometimes I think you should just go, "Oh, it's amazing, and it's going to last forever."

What was it like to shoot the Vanity Fair cover? I hadn't even shaved my legs. You think, "F___ it. I'm 20. This is Annie Leibovitz. It's something to show the grandchildren."

Were you surprised by the success of Pirates of the Caribbean? God, yeah. None of us saw it until the day before the premiere. We gave ourselves a big talk, put on a united front. We're sitting there, and I remember Orlando [Bloom] nudging me, saying, "Actually, it's quite good, isn't it?"

With reporting by Alice Park