London: Taron Egerton has gracefully removed himself from consideration for the coveted tole of James Bond, citing a self-awareness of his temperament and candidly declaring that he's "too messy" to portray the impeccably composed British spy.
Amazon MGM Studios is officially on the hunt for the next 007 after setting Denis Villeneuve as the film’s director under a producing team of Amy Pascal and David Heyman, reports DEADLINE.
Egerton, 35, said he was not the right fit for the role in the post-Daniel Craig era, and that there were younger actors who should be ready to take on the challenge.
“I think I’m too messy for that. I think I’m not [the right fit]— I really love James Bond and particularly Daniel Craig’s tenure,” the Kingsman: The Golden Circle star told Collider.
“But I think I wouldn’t be good at it, and I think there’s so many cool, younger actors who would be great for it. I think it would be wasted on me, probably.”
The 35-year-old actor, who recently appeared in Netflix's "Carry On", noted that Bond demands more than just suavity and screen presence, it asks for a near-total commitment, something he is not currently looking for.
“As far as I’m aware, nobody’s asking me to do it. But also, it’s possibly not quite the thing that would make me happiest,” he said. “It kind of consumes your life, a role like that.”
It’s not the first time Egerton, a Welshman who recently starred in Netflix hit movie Carry-On, has eschewed talk of James Bond.
In a 2023 interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said: “You have to be consistently statuesque to be that guy. And that’s something that I am still striving for. I’ve always struggled with my weight.”
Meanwhile, the rumour mil continues to churn.
Variety reported last month that Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, and Harris Dickinson were among the names on Amazon MGM Studios’ Bond wishlist.
