The James Bond franchise may have recently pᴀssed its creative control over to Amazon, but that has not stopped the search for an actor to play the role in Bond 26. When the special agent series was run by Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, Broccoli had outlined some guidelines for casting the next Bond actor. This person would, ideally, be a man in his 30s of British descent. These qualifications ruled out some previous favorites for the role, such as Henry Cavill and Idris Elba, who had since out-aged the part.
While Amazon may not follow the identical set of guidelines, it still seems strategic for them to cast someone on the younger side, making it more likely that they will play the character for at least a decade. Some of the names circling include Paapa Essiedu, who was recently announced to be in talks for HBO’s Harry Potter TV show. As he rose to greater mainstream fame after Gladiator II, Paul Mescal has also been considered another potential choice. Now, a former Bond actor has reacted to one potential 007 casting.
Pierce Brosnan Supports Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Casting As James Bond
He Was Once Rumored To Have Gotten The Part
Pierce Brosnan supports Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s potential casting as the next James Bond. Brosnan made his Bond debut in the mid-90s, playing the character in 1995’s GoldenEye. He was in four movies total, wrapping up with Die Another Day in 2002 before the role was taken over by Daniel Craig. Taylor-Johnson, who is known for his roles in films like Kick-ᴀss and Nocturnal Animals, was at once rumored to have been cast in the part. While that rumor was officially dispelled, his name has swelled up again as a frontrunner for the 007 role.
Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment, Brosnan discusses Taylor-Johnson’s potential Bond casting. Brosnan was complimentary of Taylor-Johnson, noting that he worked with him on The Greatest. On that set, Taylor-Johnson “filled the space with pᴀssion and energy.” Given this background, Brosnan thinks that Taylor-Johnson “would be great” in the Bond series. Check out the full quote from Brosnan below:
I cast him in one of the movies I made a long time ago called The Greatest, actually. and he played ‘the Greatest.’
This young man came on the set. and took the space, filled the space with pᴀssion and energy. So yeah, I think if he wished it, wanted it and got it, he would be great.
What This Means For The James Bond Franchise
This Is A Good Vote For Taylor-Johnson
Taylor-Johnson was only 18 years old when he was in The Greatest with Brosnan. If Brosnan was impressed by him then, he would likely be even more stunned now if Taylor-Johnson were to take on the Bond role. Taylor-Johnson is a 34-year-old British man, making him well within the original description of the next James Bond. His deep acting history and growing popularity through his work on movies like The Fall Guy and Kraven the Hunter would make him an attractive candidate, and the endorsement from Brosnan can’t hurt.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment