Henry Golding says diversity "shouldn't be a factor" in James Bond casting
The Snake Eyes star has become a top fan choice to take over from Daniel Craig.
Henry Golding has said that diversity shouldn't be a factor in the tough decision of who should be the next James Bond, with Daniel Craig definitively finished with the role following the release of No Time to Die.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that top executives at Bond studio MGM have started "very early" conversations about who will inherit the 007 mantle in the next era of the long-running film series.
Many fans have argued it's time for a person of colour to take on the role, with Daniel Kaluuya, Idris Elba, Regé-Jean Page and Golding himself among the most popular casting suggestions.
However, in an interview with RadioTimes.com, the Snake Eyes star argued that MGM's focus should not be on finding a diverse Bond, but rather the perfect person to portray the spy's iconic personality traits.
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"It shouldn't be a factor at all," said Golding. "I think Bond represents something that we've all sort of grown up with and that's a man of substance, a man who has stoic properties and is a protector, has a sensitive side.
"So really, the talk of having to have them be diverse is – it's great and all, but I think you have to do justice to the source material. He's such an iconic character, so I wouldn't say that there should be any pressure."
He added: "But I think they will choose the right person for the role. So be it Black, Asian, Latino, mixed... anything, as long as they have the attributes that they can bring to the screen. I think that is what the fans really want."
Golding was made an overnight star in 2018 after bagging the male lead in romcom Crazy Rich Asians, while more recently he went through extensive physical training to play the lead role in GI Joe spin-off Snake Eyes.
Meanwhile, in September, he travelled to a galaxy far, far away, lending his voice to one of the anime vignettes in Disney Plus anthology series Star Wars: Visions.
No Time to Die is now available to rent digitally on Amazon. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
