James Bond star and acting royalty Dame Judi Dench has hit out over the potential of a woman playing the iconic 007 agent in the films based on Ian Fleming’s novels.
Dame Judi, who herself took on a gender-switch role when she was head as the cast of MI6, M, in the 1995 film Golden Eye claims that women can do anything – other than the role of James Bond.
Dench, 85, who passed on the role of M in 2015 during a posthumous appearance in the James Bond film Spectre claimed that the role of 007 was “very specific” and implied that it should never change.
Judi’s first stint in Bond came in 1995
In a candid chat with the Daily Mail, the star was asked whether 007 could ever be a female, replying with: “No, Bond ought not to be a woman because, essentially, that kind of model – Bond as a woman – was not in the writing.”
After saying that women “should have a go at anything” the 85-year-old claimed that the role of 007 required certain attributions.
“What would Ian Fleming say? Well, he’s not here to ask,” added the actress.
Dench’s last outing as M came in 2015 during a posthumous appearance
She went on to say that somebody should “create a character, for a female agent to play front and centre, that’s nothing to do with Fleming, and not make Bond a woman. Is that clear?”
When pressed on whether she would ever consider taking on the role of M again, Dench said: “I died.”
“It was 18 years,” she added when reflecting on her memories as one of the nations favourite secret agents.
The star claimed that women should not take on the role of 007 (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Burlington Arcade)
“I’ll come back as Ghostie M, I like the sound of Ghostie M.
“If the Bond folks don’t take it up, it’d be the perfect name for a rapper.”
Known for her cracking one-liners and amusing personality, Judi has recently been sending the nation into fits of laughter with social media posts following the coronavirus outbreak.
In a clip shared by her daughter, Judi was seen wearing a furry dog hat with the ears flipped up before saying: “Just keep laughing. That’s all we can do.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
