Saoirse Ronan has said she is “dead serious” about wanting to play a James Bond villain, as her husband Jack Lowden emerges as the bookies' favourite to take on the role of 007.
The 32-year-old Irish actress, known for films such as The Lovely Bones, Lady Bird and Little Women, told Empire: “I want to go dark. I said that I wanted to be a Bond villain and I'm dead serious.”
Ronan backs a young female villain
The four-time Oscar nominee said it would be “really interesting” for the franchise to feature a “young female villain”.
“Especially for girls and women, to see someone who can just take all that pent-up anger and direct it somewhere, there's something interesting in that dramatically. So I would love to do more of that,” she said.
Ronan has previously voiced her desire to play a Bond villain, saying in a 2024 interview that she found the characters “very interesting” and would state her desire to play one “again and again”.
Lowden leads the race for Bond
This is the first time she has shared this since her husband of two years, Scottish actor Lowden, has taken the lead in speculation to play the next Bond.
The Slow Horses star, who met Ronan on the set of Mary Queen of Scots, has long been in the running to take over from Daniel Craig. He emerged as a frontrunner last week after Richard Osman shared that he had heard the actor was being “strongly considered” for the role.
The 36-year-old, who welcomed his first child with Ronan last year, has taken over the spot as bookies' favourite from Callum Turner.
Casting underway for next 007 film
Gossip over who will be the next James Bond long predates Craig's exit from the franchise in 2021, with casting finally getting underway in May for the first film to be made under Amazon MGM Studios.
Earlier this month, producer Amy Pascal shared an update on the process, saying that “the end of the year is a good bet” for when the name might be revealed.
“I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it's got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different,” she added.
