Weighing in on which actor should take over the 007 role from Daniel Craig, the former 'M' depicter in seven Bond films reveals what she tells her 'Cats' co-star when they works together on the musical.
- April 1, 2019
AceShowbiz - Dame Judi Dench has joined the growing number of stars championing Idris Elba for the role of James Bond.
The Brit is at the top of fans' shortlists to take over as 007 when Daniel Craig steps down after one more movie, and the superspy's former boss thinks he would be "brilliant" as Bond.
Dame Judi, who played MI6 chief 'M' in seven Bond films before her character was killed off in 2012's "Skyfall", teased Idris about the role when the pair teamed up to film director Tom Hooper's "Cats" movie musical.
"I think he would be a brilliant Bond," the actress tells The Daily Telegraph. "When we filmed Cats he kept saying to me, 'Will you send me to the Heaviside layer (song from the musical)?' And at one point I turned to him and said 'No, I'll send you to MI6!'"
Dench isn't so taken with another Bond contender, Richard Madden, telling the broadsheet, "I don't know Richard Madden."
Ralph Fiennes, Dame Judi's replacement as Bond's boss on the big screen, has also given Idris' casting as 007 the thumbs up, telling British chat show host Lorraine Kelly the "Thor" star would make "a fantastic" James Bond.
Elba has made it clear that he has no interest in becoming the first black Bond and recently revealed he has not had any conversations with Bond producers.
George Clooney is also a big fan of the casting, stating, "Idris Elba should be Bond, period. He's elegant, he's handsome, he's very... he should be Bond. I'm shocked that they haven't just offered it to him right now, he's the guy to do it. Mock up that poster!"
