British actor Dominic West told The Sunday Times that James Bond should be played by high-ranking transgender soldier Hannah Gaf.
Daniel Craig is set to play Bond for the final time in Cary Fukunaga’s upcoming Bond 25, but we have yet to learn who might replace him afterwards. Rumored to be in contention are British actors Tom Hardy and Idris Elba.
West's assertions that an inclusive Bond would be the way to go have divided the film community. “Maybe a transgender Bond would be cool,” he told The Times. The actor said his role in the trans film “Colette” helped him come up with the idea.
“There’s a very cool woman who’s the wife of an actor in ‘Colette’ who is a captain in the electrical engineers, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the army,” West said. “She’s a beautiful blonde girl who could be Bond, yes. That’s actually a brilliant idea. They should have a transgender Bond because there are a lot of transgender people in the army. They’d be ideal because they can do everything.”
When asked about the front runner for Craig’s replacement, Tom Hardy, West said he also liked the idea: “I think Tom Hardy could be a good Bond,” West said. “I’d be happy to see him do it. You need an actor who can put a bit of wiggle into it – that’s what makes Bond.”
Bond 25 will open in theaters nationwide February 14, 2020.