With Daniel Craig retired from the James Bond role, the search for a new 007 is underway. Now, James Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams explained what younger actors were missing when they auditioned for the coveted role.
Craig's tenure as James Bond ended with No Time to Die, which concluded with Bond being killed by missiles striking the island he was on. Now producers must find a new actor to play the character, and they've already ruled out a young actor playing the next James Bond, and McWilliams' comments indicate it might be because they're missing a key skill required for the role.
During an interview with Radio Times, McWilliams reflected on what young actors were missing during the audition process before Craig was selected for Casino Royale. "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."
While McWilliams didn't provide details about the search for the next James Bond, the casting director noted it wouldn't be unprecedented for an unknown actor to be chosen over a well-known movie star. "Timothy Dalton was known, but he was known as a Shakespearean actor, really," McWilliams said. "Pierce [Brosnan] 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."
McWilliams isn't wrong when saying actors will take on a significant responsibility if they're cast as James Bond. Franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have said they want a decade-long commitment from the next James Bond actor, meaning whoever is chosen will likely have to pass on other roles if the production of a new 007 film demands it. Furthermore, Craig was not a universally praised choice for the role until he proved to be one of the best actors to play James Bond in the eyes of many. So, the next James Bond actor might need the will to endure fan backlash, unfortunately.
Regardless, the producers know what they want from the next James Bond. So, whoever is chosen will have already proven themselves by meeting the standards of the protective James Bond franchise caretakers.
Source: Radio Times