Earlier this week came breathless reports in the UK press that Callum Turner had potentially landed the role of the next James Bond. Turner was one of at least three finalists in the auditions for the part with a screen test taking place the other weekend at Bray Studios.
Reports suggested his exiting a production company he helped setup was seemingly the proof he had been picked, speculation being he did it to take on the Bond role. Trouble is, he left the company back in December last year, long before any Bond auditions.
Now, in the back half of this week, one of the other finalists – Josh O’Connor – has been the subject of a similar story. The Sun reports that one of O’Connor’s current theatre co-stars in the stage production “Golden Boy” is convinced the actor has got the role.
O’Connor plays a gifted violinist who becomes a professional boxer in the play which also stars Richard Fleeshman, Jason Barnett, Daniel Mays and Hayley Squires.
An apparent “loose-lipped member” of the cast claimed, during a quiet night out at a pub in Soho late on Wednesday night, Josh confessed to getting the Bond role. The paper’s source claims to have heard it directly from the lips of this mysterious cast mate and not Josh himself, and the cast mate was insistent:
“They said that he [Josh] had confided in them about getting the role when the cast of Golden Boy had celebratory drinks after the play finished its run on Halloween. I was staggered that this person was being so open about it all. But they were clearly very proud of Josh and what getting the role of Bond would mean for his career.”
If it pans out, O’Connor would be a solid choice as he’s proven himself to be a great actor in films like his debut in “God’s Own Country” which won him a BIFA Award, to “Challengers,” “The History of Sound,” “La Chimera,” “The Mastermind,” “Disclosure Day” and “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” as well as an Emmy-winning turn in “The Crown”.
Jack Lowden was the third name who screen tested and was the bookie’s favourite by a clear margin going into the auditions. So far though, no concrete information has arisen as to which of the three will win the part.
