Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel admits he is not interested in taking over the part of James Bond. The highly coveted role of the famed British spy agent has been vacant for quite some time as producers are still on the lookout for the perfect actor who would commit to the franchise.
Aside from Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, many fans also campaign for Patel to jump aboard the Bond ship. Still, the actor remains reluctant to even give it a chance.
Dev Patel Breaks Silence On Why He Doesn’t Want To Be James Bond
Dev Patel sat down with IndieWire and addressed the rumors of him being one of the top contenders for James Bond. The Hotel Mumbai actor admitted that he would just make fun of himself and would only turn the action film into a comedy. Patel also expressed his support for Idris Elba for the role:
“My vote is for Idris on that one. I mean, you don’t want me blasting through a door with a Walther PPK to try to save you. I’ll do the comedy version with Armando [Iannucci]. I just think the best person for the role is what it comes down to.”
Patel debuted in the British TV series Skins and has since made an impressive portfolio of works such as Modern Love, The Personal History of David Copperfield, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
As an actor, he carries a philosophy that guides him with the types of roles he accepts. Patel continued:
“I also don’t want to be gifted a role, just because of the tokenistic nature of me being a garnish — ‘Let’s sprinkle some diversity into this!’ That doesn’t make me feel good either. If it works for the story, and I feel like I can bring some truth out of this role or embody it well, then that’s what it should come down to.”
As exciting as the opportunity sounds for Patel, he made some interesting and wise points on this. Many shows face dilemmas because they force a person of color into a role just for the sake of diversity. While the idea of Dev Patel playing 007 sounds very cool, he has definitely more offers waiting for him over the horizon.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Emerged As A Favorite James Bond Candidate Alongside Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill has been in talks for the role of James Bond for quite some time, but a strong contender is also emerging in the form of Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The Kraven the Hunter actor has been a favorite candidate for the spy agent role, and as he has yet to confirm his willingness to play the part, he told Esquire:
“As I’ve already told you, I have to go by the beat of my own drum. It’s my own path, what feels intuitive to me. I’ve never made a decision based on other people’s perspectives, or their judgments, or their expectations.”
There is still scarce detail about the upcoming Bond film, only we know the requirements the producers want for the next lead star. Michael G. Wilson told Deadline:
“Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. He’s probably been in the SAS or something. He isn’t some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. That’s why it works for a 30-something.”
The search for the next James Bond actor continues, and until the producers find the one star who will take up the mantle of the 007 role, fans will continue to support their candidates.
