It finally may be happening — a person of color playing the one and only James Bond.
Producer Barbara Broccoli recently said it is time for a non-white actor to take on the iconic 007 role. Though everyone’s top pick Idris Elba denied it would be him, the hope for diversity in the franchise is alive and well once more.
With that hope, here are seven LGBTI actors I’d love to see play Bond in the future. And not just any Bond, but a queer Bond. To make it extra fun, the list also includes LGBTI actors as the Bond Boy or Girl.
Zachary Quinto | Photo: Flickr/Gage Skidmore
Zachary Quinto
With those piercing eyes and well-dressed red carpet ensembles, Zachary Quinto already has the look down pat for 007. Plus, with Star Trek under his belt, he has franchise experience too. Though the action in Star Trek is different from the fast-paced, intimate action we’ve seen from recent Bond films, Quinto can definitely pull it off.
Bond Boy: Jussie Smollett
Angelina Jolie | Photo: Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore
Angelina Jolie
Does Angelina Jolie have way too much on her plate to take on a franchise like this? Yes. Would she even be interested? Maybe not. Would we still love to see her in the role? Absolutely.
Jolie was once one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars and though her career has evolved more into documentaries and humanitarian efforts, the mere thought of her as Bond is enough to keep us going. Imagine the way she’d survey her enemies and match M wit-for-wit. Sounds like a dream too good to be true.
Bond Girl: Laverne Cox
Luke Evans | Photo: Wikimedia/Raph_PH
Luke Evans
Actor Luke Evans already has one up on most people on this list — he’s British! Yeah, yeah, it’s A Big Deal for Bond to be British, but this is my fantasy list so I’m putting who I’d most want to see. And Welsh actor Evans is definitely up there.
Evans has that naturally je ne sais quoi debonaire air about him that screams Bond. Like Quinto, he also has franchise experience from The Hobbit trilogy, meaning he knows what it takes for a demanding project like Bond. And can he pull off the very necessary objectifying Bond scene? Uhm, yes.
Bond Boy: Simon Woods
Thandie Newton | Photo: Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore
Thandie Newton
We’ve seen her be a badass in Mission: Impossible (okay, it was II, but details shmetails) and now in HBO’s Westworld. It’s about time Thandie Newton gets her own solo project to show off just how amazing she is.
Newton could do it all as Bond: the action, the martini-drinking, winning over Sarah Paulson as the unlikely American accountant who gets roped into Bond’s machinations. Plus, imagine a female Bond and M deepening their working relationship by lamenting all the ridiculous, chest-puffing men in their line of work. Exactly.
Bond Girl: Sarah Paulson
BD Wong | Photo: Facebook/BD Wong
BD Wong
Actor BD Wong might best be known as Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic Park universe, but guess what, friends? He was also the voice of bisexual hero Li Shang in Disney’s Mulan and that’s frankly the only endorsement I need for him to play Bond.
Okay, okay, the man also has serious acting chops. He’s the only actor in history to win a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theatre World Award all for the same role as Song Liling in M. Butterfly. Plus he’s got the look, that suave smile, and he can fill out a suit.
Give the people what we want, MGM.
Bond Boy: Wilson Cruz
Samira Wiley | Photo: Flickr/Steve Rhodes
Samira Wiley
Since Samira Wiley is already being under-utilized on The Handmaid’s Tale let’s just quietly get her out of Gilead and into the scheming world of agents and spies. There’s a quiet confidence and rebellious streak to Wiley’s acting that would make for a refreshing take on Bond.
Enemies would find her unassuming and she would use it to her advantage, beating them each and every time, while saying the name Bond with the most arrogant, assured voice that puts all the women in the audience in a tizzy.
Bond Girl: Tessa Thompson
Jamie Clayton | Photo: Wikimedia
Jamie Clayton
Known for her role as Nomi on Netflix’s beloved Sense8, Jamie Clayton has less credits than most of the other people on this list, her work in Sense8 and other projects like The Neon Demon is enough to make me want to see what she could do as Bond. Don’t let her sunny blonde disposition fool you (I remember how people reacted to Daniel Craig — a blond man — being cast as Bond), because she’ll kick your ass.
Bond Girl: Dominique Jackson
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