"If I am Bond, I don't know about it."
At this point, four years on from the release of No Time to Die, it's hard to keep track of all the actors who have been connected with the role of James Bond in speculation.
However, one name which has come up consistently in recent weeks is that of The Crown star Josh O'Connor - however, fans hoping for him to get the role shouldn't start celebrating yet.
Asked about the rumours that he could be cast in the role, O'Connor told Deadline: "I have no thoughts, really. The truth is that… I think in the space of a week, I made a joke about, wouldn’t it be funny if I played Bond?
"Then, me and Daniel [Craig] did an Actors on Actors, and then something else happened, and then suddenly I was James Bond. If I am Bond, I don’t know about it."
As well as playing Prince Charles in the third and fourth season of The Crown, O'Connor is also known for his film work, including in recent releases such as La chimera, Lee and Challengers.
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Other stars to have been linked to the Bond role include Shōgun star Cosmo Jarvis (who seemed completely baffled by the suggestion), Luke Evans and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
In October, Jennifer Salke, Amazon MGM Studios global head, gave an update on the behind-the-scenes progress on the next Bond film and the casting, saying: "There are a lot of ideas [about potential actors] that have popped up that I thought are interesting.
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"I think there are a lot of different ways we can go. We have a good and close relationship with Eon and Barbara [Broccoli, producer] and Michael [G Wilson, producer]. We are not looking to disrupt the way those wonderful films are made. For us, we are taking their lead."
She added: "The global audience will be patient. We don’t want too much time between films, but we are not concerned at this point."
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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