Outlander star Sam Heughan thinks the right time is now for him to play James Bond. From British writer Ian Fleming, the iconic secret agent was first introduced in 1953’s Casino Royale and went on to appear in over 10 more novels and short stories. Based on this successful series, the still ongoing film franchise saw Sean Connery take the first turn as James Bond in 1962’s Dr. No.
Since then, the franchise has had many different faces and taken on many different tones, from the campy humor of days past to current Bond actor Daniel Craig’s super serious take on the suave secret agent. Craig’s days as Bond are numbered, as he has announced ahead of No Time To Die’s release this fall that it will be his final portrayal of the role he has occupied since 2006’s Casino Royale and reprised three times since. Naturally, there has been plenty of fervent debate and fan-casting as to who should take on the iconic role next.
One candidate is Sam Heughan, who is best known as Jamie Fraser from Outlander. The Scottish actor actually auditioned years ago for the role that eventually went to Craig. Now, with the post soon to be vacant yet again, Heughan thinks the time is now for him to be Bond. On the podcast Just The Facts, the Outlander star made his case, per CinemaBlend:
There’s a long list, right? It’s one of those things, isn’t it? You don’t want to talk about it, because there isn’t anything to talk about. It’s all media, and there’s no weight to it at all, there’s no truth to it. Having said that, you can’t help but then think, ‘God, that would be amazing.’ And I have been up for Bond, I went up for it when they did Bond 21. It was an amazing experience and I was completely out of my depth. But I think now I feel the right age for it, I feel capable enough to do it, I’d love the opportunity to throw my hat in the ring.
Pierce Brosnan’s departure from the James Bond franchise after 2002’s Die Another Day left the role of the secret agent vacant and saw numerous suitors stepping up to fill the void. At that time, Heughan was only 25 years old and was competing with the likes of Ewan McGregor, Karl Urban, Henry Cavill, and Craig. Heughan has surely learned some things from his first audition and many years of acting that he could apply this time around.
Heughan is one of the more lower-profile names to garner interest in the role, but nevertheless, a popular one, considering that he won numerous internet fan polls casting him as the next Bond. Since more established actors like Idris Elba and Tom Hardy may not want to tie themselves down to a single franchise for over a decade, Heughan may have a leg up over them in this regard. One thing is clear for the future of James Bond: the franchise has to get this casting right and Heughan will be one of many qualified suitors stepping up to the plate.
Source: CinemaBlend
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July 18, 2021 at 12:12AM
