Ralph Fiennes, the man behind the unforgettable character Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series, was once on the verge of stepping into the shiny shoes of another legendary character, James Bond. However, his fate had some different plans in store for him and thus landed him in the role of M, the head of MI6, in the James Bond franchise instead.
The actor shared what went on behind the scenes in detail in an interview with Happy. Sad. Confused podcast.
Ralph Fiennes Was Almost James Bond!
It would have undeniably been a remarkably iconic career move to have portrayed both James Bond and Voldemort in one lifetime, and Ralph Fiennes would have been the only one to do so. During an episode of the Happy. Sad. Confused podcast (via Playlist), Fiennes shared in detail the story of what led him to take the supporting role in Daniel Craig starrer Bond franchise.
Before Daniel Craig was ultimately chosen to portray the iconic British detective, the actor who brought Voldemort to life was under consideration for the role, as he stated,
“It’s a funny one,–because actually, a while back, Barbara Brocolli once talked to me about possibly playing Bond, and that didn’t happen. But Sam Mendes directed ‘Skyfall’ and the pitch was very attractive at the time.”
Despite missing out on the role initially, the actor seized the opportunity to become a part of the James Bond franchise when it came knocking again. This time, fueled by determination, the actor embraced the challenge and accepted the role of M in Skyfall, showcasing his immense love for the iconic franchise.
Also Read: Not Pedro Pascal, A Major Fan-Favorite Game of Thrones Actor Could Have Been the Next James Bond
Ralph Fiennes Didn’t Like Where M Was Headed
Following the immense triumph of Skyfall, it was only natural for Fiennes to reprise his role in Spectre. Yet, during the early brainstorming sessions for the film, he discovered that Sam Mendes had some interesting visions for the future trajectory of M’s character. As he stated,
“I think I can say now that I had to fight off an attempt by Sam in Spectre to make M – I said, ‘I don’t want to play M and then you turn around and make him the bad guy. M is never the bad guy,’–So I had to have some pretty intense discussions with Sam saying, ‘This is not flying with me.’ … It was like he was Blofeld or something, but that was a red line.”
The actor passionately resisted adhering to that specific trope for his character and thus entered into a fierce battle with Mendes to maintain M’s stability in the James Bond storyline. While the proposed path for M would have been nothing short of shocking, fans remain blissfully unaware of the twists that awaited them had those plans come to life in reality.
