Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes says Richard Madden would make a "phenomenal" James Bond
Hit BBC drama Bodyguard has made Golden Globe winner Richard Madden one of the favourites to take over from Daniel Craig
Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes has thrown her support behind Richard Madden becoming the next James Bond, telling RadioTimes.com that he would make a "phenomenal" 007.
The Bodyguard actor has become one of the favourites to take over the role from Daniel Craig thanks to his Golden Globe-winning performance as David Budd in the BBC series.
"I said to Richard while we were shooting, 'This is like James Bond!'" Hawes, who played Home Secretary Julia Montague in the drama, said at the Radio Times Covers Party.
"I would love to see Richard playing James Bond; I would love that," she added.
Giving a thumbs up and crossing her fingers, she said, "I think he would be phenomenal." Watch the video below for the full interview.
32-year-old actor Madden has previously said he was "more than flattered to be mentioned", and that a James Bond film is "a brilliant thing to be in" – but that he doesn't want to spoil his chances and "curse anything by saying anything."
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Hawes, 42, also told RadioTimes.com that she had been surprised – Bodyguard spoiler alert – by how many fans still refuse to believe that her character Julia Montague is really, truly, and definitively dead.
Writer Jed Mercurio killed the character off in a bomb explosion halfway through the series, but that didn't stop viewers speculating that she had somehow survived the blast.
Even now, many fans still insist Julia is alive and will return in series two.
"Every day I'm surprised by how many people ask me if I'm still alive!" she said. "It's extraordinary, and completely unexpected."
Hawes added, "I tweeted, 'Thanks very much, I had a great time on the show,' and Jed gave an interview to Radio Times and explained why my character had been killed off, so it wasn't really a case of keeping my mouth shut as it was with Line of Duty, when we were having fun playing the game. It wasn't at all.
"We'd been quite frank and honest and open about it, but it seemed to be something that people – people wanted the character to be alive. Which is very flattering, thank you very much!"
