James Bond casting director explains why they won't use young actors to play 007
Topics: James Bond, Film and TV
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Entertainment Pictures/PictureLux/The Hollywood Archive
Topics: James Bond, Film and TV
The longtime casting director for the James Bond films has explained why they won’t use young actors for the iconic role of 007.
Since Daniel Craig announced he’d be hanging up his tux, speculation has been non-stop about who could fill his well-polished shoes.
While we’re still no closer to knowing who’s next in line, those working behind the scenes on the franchise have teased a number of details of what they’re looking for - and what they’re not after.
This includes the age of any future Bond star, who is unlikely to be a ‘younger actor’, according to Debbie McWilliams, who has served as casting director on the Bond films since 1981.
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Speaking to the Radio Times, McWilliams said younger stars did try out for the role back when they were casting for 2006 film Casino Royale – which eventually went to Craig, who was in his 30s – but none of them quite fit the bill for a number of reasons.
"When we started, it was a slightly different feel," McWilliams said.
“We did look at a lot of younger actors, and I just don’t think they had the gravitas. They didn’t have the experience, they didn’t have the mental capacity to take it on, because it’s not just the part they’re taking on, it’s a massive responsibility.
"So we kind of scrubbed that idea and went back to the drawing board and started again.”
But while McWilliams said they were looking for a slightly older Bond, it didn’t necessarily mean they were after an established name.
"Timothy Dalton was known, but he was known as a Shakespearean actor, really,” she continued.
“Pierce was known, but that was basically from television. Roger Moore was known from television. Sean Connery wasn't [known] – nobody had ever heard of him.
"A certain audience had heard of Daniel Craig, but much more the kind of independent cinema audience. He hadn't done any huge commercial film at all, really – [2004 film] Layer Cake I suppose was the most popular, should we say, of the things he had done prior to Bond, but he wasn't a hugely well-known actor."
Last year, producer Barbara Broccoli also said they were really looking to shake things up with the role, telling Variety that Bond was ‘evolving just as men are evolving’.
She explained that, before they even considered potential actors, they had to work out exactly where they want to go with the character next.
“That’s why, when people go, ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ it’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’,” she said.
“And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?”