Former “007” Pierce Brosnan says it’s time for male actors to “get out of the way” and make room for a female James Bond.
Author Ian Fleming’s iconic British spy would get a gender swap if it was up to the “GoldenEye” star.
“I think we’ve watched the guys do it for the last 40 years — get out of the way, guys, and put a woman up there,” Mr. Brosnan told The Hollywood Reporter Saturday at the Deauville Film Festival. “I think it would be exhilarating, it would be exciting,”
The actor gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” when asked if Lashana Lynch would be the right choice to replace actor Daniel Craig after the upcoming “No Time to Die.”
“James Bond has a certain significance and a deep pride,” Mr. Brosnan added. “I will be asked about him until my dying days — it just goes with the territory. He’s a beloved character. I was honored to play the role and I rejuvenated a franchise that had been dormant.”
“No Time to Die” is scheduled for a 2020 release.
Actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought in as a script doctor prior to filming and assured reporters in May that she would provide a product that “treats the women properly.”
“[The property] has just got to grow,” she told the entertainment website Deadline. “It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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