Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond is officially over, with the next actor to strap on agent 007’s gun holster yet to be revealed.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Naomie Harris – who played Moneypenny opposite Craig’s Bond in three movies – shared her advice for whoever comes next, urging them not to be “intimidated by the hugeness” of the long-running film franchise.
“I think the most important thing I would say, having experiences of coming into this franchise, is that you just can’t get intimidated by the hugeness of it, by all the pressure that’s involved – because there is tremendous pressure, and people have such strong ideas about how various roles and the franchise should be played,” said Harris.
“I think it’s about not being intimidated by all of that pressure and realising that it’s your role to make your own.”
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Harris added that the next Bond actor needs to reimagine the character as Craig did with 2006’s Casino Royale.
“In the same way that Daniel came in and revolutionised Bond and made Bond something completely different from Bonds of old, I think that’s what a new Bond needs to do,” she said. “They need to come in and offer something completely modern, fresh, and a new take on on it.”
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Henry Cavill, Sam Heughan and Idris Elba are among the names that have been touted by fans as the next James Bond, though franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has insisted that casting talks won’t begin until 2022.
Craig’s final outing as Bond, No Time to Die, was finally released to cinemas in the UK on 30th September following a series of production delays and further postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the film finally out in the world and shortly to be made available on home media, Harris told RadioTimes.com that it’s “the sensitivity” which Daniel Craig brought to the role of Bond that will be his lasting legacy.
“He had all the elements of the traditional Bond, but then he had heart as well,” she said. “He fell in love, and really connected with the women that he had relationships with, and had his heart broken at points as well. I think that humanising of Bond just made him touch our hearts even more.”
No Time to Die is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD from 20th December. Visit our Movies hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch with our TV Guide.
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