Hannah Waddingham is sharing her thoughts on one of Hollywood’s most hotly debated casting questions.
While attending a special screening of her new Prime Video action-comedy series, Ride or Die, last month at London’s Ham Yard Hotel, Waddingham, 51, was asked what she enjoys most about playing powerful women on screen.
“It’s their truth. It’s who they are in the quiet — that’s what gets me first,” Waddingham, who plays an assassin in the new series, told People of what attracts her to those roles. “[My] interest is piqued by who they are when they’re alone, and the foibles and the fears and the aspirations they have when they’re alone.”
Waddingham also weighed in on the future of James Bond and shared whether she’d ever be interested in stepping into the shoes of the iconic MI6 operative.
“No! God, no!” the Ted Lasso star exclaimed, adding that Ride or Die is as close as it gets to Bond for her. “No, this is my version of 007.”
In fact, she doesn’t believe a woman needs to play Bond at all.
“A woman doesn’t need to play James Bond — we’ve got other things to do,” Waddingham quipped.
The conversation over who will step into the iconic role of James Bond has been swirling around Hollywood since Daniel Craig stepped away from the franchise following the release of his final film, No Time to Die, which premiered globally in October 2021.
And while Waddingham doesn’t believe she has the license to kill, the official casting process for the next 007 is underway. Though no leading man has been confirmed for the part, several actors remain in contention.
Leading the rumor mill is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has brushed off speculation when asked about the potential role.
“I can only really talk about the things I’m going to show and tell,” Taylor-Johnson said in a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone UK. “So, The Fall Guy, Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter. I’m here to promote those.”
While the Fuze star appears to be the frontrunner, he’s far from the only actor linked to the coveted role. Jacob Elordi, Henry Cavill, and Paul Mescal have all been rumored for the part, along with rising star Louis Partridge, Ireland’s Daryl McCormack, Bridgerton alum Regé-Jean Page, and Idris Elba, who, in a June 8 interview with British GQ, called his rumored casting unrealistic.
“I’ve always felt that it’s not a realistic thing,” Elba told the outlet. “James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.”
“Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke,” he continued. “I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond.”
This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
