Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan gave an enthusiastic shout-out to Callum Turner in his quest to become the next 007.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Brosnan was asked about the current “conversation” around the subject of Bond — presumably referring to media coverage about the actors reportedly being tested to take over the iconic role.
The MobLand actor was very diplomatic in his answer, generously praising the field of young stars who are up for the part.
Yet he did give a particular hat tip to Turner, whom he worked with on the 2017 film The Only Living Boy in New York.
“Oh, I’m just an audience member now,” he said. “I’m just the man in the street who is eager to see who is going to play this epic role of cinematic history. All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire. Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong. They all have a voice and a physique, and a presence on film. They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men. Whoever plays the role, I wish him the very best of life and strength and courage. You know, it’s hard to tell who it would be, but I eagerly await to hear the news and the celebration of the next James Bond.”
Brosnan also had praise for Dune director Denis Villeneuve helming the new Bond film.
“I think we are going to be blown away,” he said. “[Villeneuve] is such an iconoclastic director. His work is visionary, and his stealth and imagination of camera work and storytelling is so visceral and sensuous. It’s going to be great. It’s going to be truly magnificent.”
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the actors testing for Bond include Turner and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden. Going into last weekend when auditions were set to take place, Lowden was the favorite in prediction markets. Since then, for whatever reason, Turner has surged ahead.
Lowden recently reacted to his Horses co-star, Gary Oldman, suggesting the actor would get the role. “It’s all very flattering,” Lowden said to British GQ. “It’s nice to be mentioned — for any role — and I’m just not really going to add to the noise. It’s very nice, and Gary’s a sweetheart — it’s particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don’t really listen to it.”
Previously, Brosnan reacted to his MobLand co-star Helen Mirren blasting the Bond franchise for being sexist, noting, “She let them have it” and admitted, “Yes, there’s a certain agreement there. But there’s a certain world and room to move within the proscenium arch of what [Bond creator and author] Ian Fleming put down. So there’s always going to be conflict.”
Mirren had said of the decades-old franchise, “I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond. The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism.”
Villeneuve is directing the new Bond outing, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing and overseeing the franchise for Amazon MGM Studios, which bought out the creative rights from the Broccoli family in February 2025.
