STEVE MARTIN - MORTIMER: 'MARTIN WILL DEFY CRITICS'

STEVE MARTIN will prove film critics wrong when he appears in the second installment of the PINK PANTHER franchise, according to co-star EMILY MORTIMER. Martin received mixed reviews for his portrayal of Inspector Clouseau in the 2006 movie alongside Beyonce Knowles. But Mortimer - who plays Clouseau's secretary Nicole in the movie - believes Martin can match Peter Sellers' famed performance as the clumsy police officer. She says, "The more I see Steve do it, the more I feel it's a part he was meant to play." Pink Panther 2 will be released in 2009.