Monica Bellucci is a name that defines beauty and grace in Hollywood. The Italian actress who made a name in Hollywood, known for movies such as La Riffa (1991), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), The Apartment (1996), and Under Suspicion (2000) among others is a respected actor in the industry and applauded for her beauty and versatility. Throughout her filmography, she has found success in various genres yet she calls one film of hers a revolutionary project.
Monica Bellucci Names Her Revolutionary Film
In an interview with the Academy Award Website A. Frame, Monica Bellucci expressed her initial shock at how and why the producers of a James Bond film were approaching her for a role in Daniel Craig’s Spectre (2015) since she was already in her 50s. She thought they were approaching her to play the role of M, previously played by Dame Judi Dench. She explained,
I was 50 years old, so when my agent called me, saying, ‘Listen, some people want to meet you for Spectre,’ I said, ‘Who am I going to play? M?!’ Actually, it was a revolutionary thing that a 50-year-old woman would be in a film like that. And then, everybody said so many things because I was 50 years old in a James Bond movie! It was an experience. I really enjoyed working with Sam Mendes — he’s great — so it was a very beautiful experience to be in that movie.
To be approached to play a modern-day Bond girl for a woman in her 50s must have been an empowering experience for Bellucci. To have a significant role in a big-budget film of a highly recognized IP like James Bond is an opportunity that any actor would love to be a part of. And it seems Bellucci cherished her role and contribution to the film.
A Bond Girl for a New Generation
Monica Bellucci’s Bond Girl is a significant departure from the usual characteristics of what the character has been historically portrayed to be. By not casting a young woman who is highly sexualized, Bellucci’s Bond girl is an older and mature woman who has substance to her and contributes to the proceedings of the film.
Spectre went on to make $880 million at the box office and Bellucci’s role as the wife of an assassin was praised by critics, noting how she changed the idea of the stereotypical presentation of women in previous Bond films by adding depth, nuance, and maturity to her character.
Monica Bellucci was recently announced as one of the stars in the upcoming film Beetlejuice 2, alongside Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Jenna Ortega among others.
Source: A.Frame
