Matthew Goode recently opened up about why he never got the chance to audition for the role of James Bond, even after meeting with franchise producer Barbara Broccoli.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Emmy-nominated actor shared his honest and unconventional take on the character that might have cost him the opportunity.
“I didn’t audition. I went in and met Barbara,” Goode said, recalling the meeting. “I didn’t get to the audition, but it was quite a funny one because — and she’s gorgeous and just a lovely, lovely person.”
When asked about his take on the iconic MI6 agent, Goode didn’t hold back.
“She was like, ‘So what’s your idea for Bond?’ And I was like, ‘My idea for Bond, we’ve gotta take it back to the books, you know? Really, we absolutely have to make this guy an alcoholic, a drug addict. He hates himself. He hates women. He hates a lot of people. He’s in deep pain. He’s brilliant at killing people.’”
Goode admitted that his pitch might not have gone over well.
“I think by the end of the interview, she was like, ‘Mhmm. Next.’ Because I wanted to make it really dark… but what I should have said was, ‘But also incredibly charming,’” he added.
At the time, the Bond franchise was gearing up for a new era with Casino Royale in 2006.
The role ultimately went to Daniel Craig, who went on to star in five Bond films, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).
“Ultimately, you know, what they did get was Daniel Craig,” Goode noted.
Craig followed in the footsteps of legendary Bond actors including Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.
As of now, the franchise has yet to announce who will take up the role next.
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