The role of James Bond is up for grabs for the first time in almost 20 years, and it's fair to say that rumours over potential actors have been running wild.
Playing 007 is one of the most coveted and iconic roles in movie history, with Daniel Craig most recently playing the spy from 2006-2021.
However, in the past couple of weeks, it seems like one star has emerged as the frontrunner to play the man who likes his Martinis 'shaken, not stirred'.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson was reportedly 'formally offered' the role of James Bond last week, with the Bullet Train star now the clear favourite to continue the character's legacy.
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The 33-year-old said in a recent interview that he was 'flattered' by rumours that he was all set to assume the role, and that it was a 'great compliment', but insisted that he aims to 'stay grounded' and not listen to any outside noise.
With all of this being said, no official news has come out confirming the rumours, so fans of the franchise have been left to twiddle their thumbs and eagerly wait.
However, on this week's episode of The Jonathan Ross show, it looks like director and wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson has addressed the rumours for the first time.
Sam met the Bond-hopeful on the set of Nowhere Boy in 2008, when she was 42 and he was 18.
They got married in 2012, and have two children together, with the actor also hitting back at criticism over the relationship recently.
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But the criticism has never affected their relationship, as the film director supportively responded to James Bond rumours.
Ross questioned the 57-year-old about it all, to which she joked: "You mean that I might direct a Bond film? The first woman director."
She then added: "Carry on speculating. He'd be great."
Revealing how it was to direct him in the past, she said: "It’s really interesting. When I directed Nowhere Boy, he wasn’t my husband. When I directed A Million Little Pieces, he was."
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Sam also claimed that he gets 'very intense', as it 'depends on what character he's playing'.
Specifically referring to his role as a sadistic gang leader in Nocturnal Animals, she explained that it 'was very hard' for her: "He was not washing, his nails were really long, he was drinking and he was watching a lot of serial killer documentaries.
"He wanted to be toxic from the inside in order to play such a toxic character. There was one morning when he woke up and thought the bed was on fire but we were actually saging him," the film director concluded.
For those who don't know, saging is the act of burning dried sage leaves to cleanse the air of spirits, negative energy and bacteria.
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It's fair to say that he'd be fairly committed to the Bond role then, if he were to get it.
Sam is also joined by Kirsten Dunst, Mary Earps, Marisa Abela, David Walliams and Yung Filly on this weekend's episode.
I guess it's still a matter of waiting for official news, though it's good that fans are no longer confusing him with Anya Taylor-Joy for the role.
Previous James Bond actors
- Sean Connery (1962–1967, 1971, 1983)
- David Niven (1967)
- George Lazenby (1969)
- Roger Moore (1973–1985)
- Timothy Dalton (1987–1989)
- Pierce Brosnan (1995–2002)
- Daniel Craig (2006–2021)
Topics: James Bond, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Entertainment, Celebrity
Joshua Nair