Stephen Fry loved James Bond as a kid and had dreams of playing him on the big screen.
It wasn’t meant to be, though, and now Fry finds that he might be better suited to playing a Bond villain. That might not be a bad idea, depending on who ends up replacing Daniel Craig in the franchise.
A comedian as James Bond?
Stephen Fry might be even better known for his voice than his appearances on stage, in film, and on television. Fry was the narrator for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a voiced character on American Dad and Danger Mouse, and even a voice in video games like Destiny 2: Forsaken and Dr. Grodbert’s Invaders.
Some of his more notable roles were as Inspector Thompson in Gosford Park, as Deitrich in V for Vendetta, as Oscar Wilde in Wilde, and as Roland on the short-lived Joel McHale comedy, The Great Indoors.
Fry also appeared as Prime Minister Alastair Davies in the mini-series 24: Live Another Day.
But back to the chance at playing James Bond.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Fry stated that, “(Bond was) brutal, snobbish, sexist and cruel as he could be. I was a great lover of all things James Bond when I was a youth. I don’t mind admitting, shallow and silly as it sounds, that I wanted to be Bond.”
He went on to say that, “It didn’t take me long to realize with a sigh of acceptance that I was suited by nature to be a Blofeld or perhaps a Goldfinger or a Drax – even a Miss Moneypenny or a Q – but never a Bond.”
Fry has the personality that would have fit perfectly with Q. That character was the quartermaster for Bond over the years and always provided him with hot new gadgets. The role has been played by Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese, and Ben Wishaw.
Who will be the next James Bond?
The topic of what actor or actress will be the next James Bond has been a hot one. After Daniel Craig ends his time as the title character in No Time To Die, it’s unknown who might step into those shoes. But Craig will be challenging to replace.
Many rumors continue to float around, with actors like James Norton, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, and Sam Heughan mentioned multiple times. Could the next James Bond be a woman?