With Daniel Craig retiring from his James Bond role, the search for a new 007 is well underway. Now, James Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams explains what young actors miss when they audition for the coveted role.
Craig’s tenure as James Bond ended in No Time To Die, when Bond was killed when a missile hit the island he was on. Now the producers have to find a new actor to play the role, they have ruled out a young actor to play the next James Bond, and McWilliams’ comments suggest this may be because they lack the key needed for the role Skill.
In an interview with Radio Times, McWilliams reflected on what young actors missed during the audition process before Craig was cast in Casino Royale. “When we started, it felt a little different,” McWilliams said. “We do see a lot of young actors, but I don’t think they have the gravitas. They don’t have the experience, they don’t have the mental capacity, because it’s not just their part, it’s a huge responsibility. So we kind of wipe that off Idea, go back to the drawing board and start over.
While McWilliams did not provide details about the search for the next James Bond, the casting director noted that it would not be unprecedented to choose an unknown actor over a well-known movie star. “Timothy Dalton is well known, but he’s actually known as a Shakespearean actor,” McWilliams said. ‘ Pierce [Brosnan] is well known, but that’s basically from TV. Roger Moore is famous for his television. Sean Connery is not [well known] — nobody has heard of him. Some audiences have heard of Daniel Craig, but more are indie filmgoers. He didn’t do any big commercial movies at all, really- [2004 film] I think ‘Layer Cake’ was the most popular, shall we say, thing he did before Bond, but he wasn’t a huge well-known actors.
McWilliams isn’t wrong to say that the actor will carry a heavy responsibility if he plays James Bond. Franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson say they want the next James Bond actor to make a decade-long commitment, which means if the new 007 film is made Need, whoever is selected may have to give up other roles. Plus, Craig wasn’t a universally acclaimed choice for the role until he proved to be one of the best actors ever to play James Bond in the eyes of many. So, unfortunately, the next James Bond actor may need to endure fan backlash.
Regardless, the producers know what they want from the next James Bond. So whoever is chosen has already proven himself by meeting the criteria that protect the caretaker of the James Bond franchise.