The search for the next James Bond continues. Younger actors have already been ruled out of the search. The casting director in charge reveals why this is the case.
Fans of the action-packed spy film have been preoccupied for some time with the big question: Who will be the new James Bond? While the producers initially wanted to give younger actors a chance at the iconic role, they quickly decided to cast the new 007 with a slightly older actor. Casting director Debbie McWilliams recently revealed why in an interview with Radio Times.
A while back, “James Bond” producer Michael G. Wilson confirmed that the new 007 will probably be an actor in his thirties. Younger Hollywood stars such as Tom Holland are therefore out of the running. Casting director Debbie McWilliams, who has been responsible for finding actors for Bond films since “James Bond 007: On a Deadly Mission” in 1981, explained why in an interview. About trying to find a younger actor for “Casino Royale” even back then, the filmmaker said:
“When we started, it was a slightly different feeling. We looked at a lot of younger actors, but I don’t think they had the seriousness, the experience and the mental capacity to take on the role, because it’s not just the role they’re taking on, it’s the enormous responsibility.”
The new James Bond actor doesn’t have to be famous
In addition, Debbie McWilliams noted that they are not necessarily looking for an already famous actor in the new Bond. On the status of fame, she said:
“Timothy Dalton was known, but he was known as a performer of Shakespearean works. Pierce [Brosnan] was known, but mostly from television. Roger Moore was known from television. Sean Connery was not – no one had ever heard of him before. Some audiences had heard of Daniel Craig, but more of an independent film audience. He hadn’t made a big commercial film. ‘Layer Cake’ was the most popular, you could say, of the stuff he did before Bond, but he wasn’t a particularly well-known actor.”
So seeing who will follow in Daniel Craig’s footsteps and become the next James Bond remains exciting. However, until we know who deserves the honor, you can pass the waiting time with the previous Bond films. All films from “Dr. No” to “Spectre” can be rented or purchased at Amazon Prime Video.
