Pierce Brosnan has backed Cillian Murphy to be the next James Bond, but the Peaky Blinders star has ruled himself out of the running for the iconic role
Pierce Brosnan declared that Cillian Murphy should become the next James Bond.
The 72-year-old actor, who portrayed the iconic 007 agent across four Bond movies from 1995 to 2002, believes the Irish star would excel in the legendary role. He stated, “Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond in His Majesty’s Secret Service.”
Nevertheless, Cillian appears reluctant to embrace the opportunity. He remarked: “I’m a bit too old for that”. Pierce embodied Bond in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.
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Sean Connery, who hailed from Scotland, possesses Irish roots, as his forebears departed Ireland for Edinburgh during the mid-19th Century. Irish performer Paul Mescal, who was recently in The Gladiator, is also speculated to be in discussions to portray the next James Bond.
Betting establishments have persistently promoted the Oppenheimer star as a candidate for the 007 position after Daniel Craig’s exit. Coral has endorsed the Peaky Blinders lead to assume the new James Bond mantle with odds of 20-1.
Rumors have been making the rounds for years about who will replace Craig, 56, in the role, with actors including Idris Elba, Henry Cavill, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson all being buzzed about.
As for Murphy, he told reporters on Thursday that he thinks Brosnan is “a lovely man,” whom he’s been a fan of since his run on the hit ’80s series Remington Steele.
Asked whether Brosnan has ever given him advice, the Oscar nominee said, “No. We just chat. People don’t really share advice, but he’s a lovely man.”
Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have said in the past that they’re looking for an actor who is willing to make a long-term commitment to the franchise. “It’s going to be a couple of years off,” Broccoli told Variety. “And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10- 12-year commitment.”
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Pierce has also previously said he thought Tom Hardy, his MobLand co-star would make an amazing James Bond. Taking to the outlet on the red carpet for Mobland, Irish native Pierce opened up about his pal. He said: “When you’re working with someone like Tom, there’s presence there and intensity. It’s got soul.”
It comes as Pierce has been named the sexiest James Bond of all time, beating both Daniel Craig and Sean Connery for the top spot.
The Irish actor starred in four films in the famous franchise – GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). The father-of-five, who is showing no signs of retirement, was ranked as the most attractive of the seven James Bond actors to date.
According to new data collected by Betway, Brosnan, who recently admitted that he would be interested in returning to the role, had an impressive annual search volume of almost three million and an attractiveness rating of 8/10.
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