According to Mail Online (via ActioNewz.com), British actor Lucien Laviscount has emerged as the latest frontrunner to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. While the source means we’re taking this with a pinch of salt, it’s said that his role in Netflix’s Emily in Paris caught the attention of franchise bosses Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
The 30-year-old is thought to be the perfect age for the next 007, while MGM is supposedly keen to hire a non-white actor in order to break new ground with Bond and better reflect today’s world.
An “insider” tells the site, “Lucien ticks all of the boxes. He is a super talented actor, is extremely handsome and in the past 18 months has won lots of new fans since he joined Emily In Paris. Bond bosses are already saying how you can see him in the 007 tuxedo, how dapper and fitting to the role he will look.”
“But, there is a sticking point, and that is Big Brother. Lucien appeared on the show at a time when his acting career was not as high-profile as it is now, but he was very popular then and has a fan base now which stretches generations,” they continue. “That is a dream for Barbara who is very taken with him.”
This is, of course, tabloid reporting and probably not something we should put too much stock in. We’re sure many British actors – both known and unknown – are currently being considered to pick up where Craig left off. The site has shared some reliable Bond intel in the past, though, meaning we can’t entirely discount these claims.
Interestingly, the report ends by pointing out that stuntpeople are already being tested at Pinewood Studios, so chances are work on the movie is further along than thought.
Going back to Laviscount, he made a name for himself in British dramas like Clocking Off and Coronation Street before a stint in Celebrity Big Brother saw him land a role in Waterloo Road. From there, he managed to break into America with roles in Scream Queens, Your Christmas Or Mine, and Sex Education.
Do you think the actor would make a good 007? Let us know in the comments section.