A whole lot of actors have shot screen tests for the role of James Bond over the decades, including James Brolin, Sam Neill, and Henry Cavill – and now, you can add another name to the list, as The Hollywood Reporter has shared the rumor that British actor Scott Rose-Marsh, whose credits include Krays: Code of Silence, Yr Amgueddfa, and Wolves of War, shot a screen test for the role in late June, not long after director Denis Villeneuve was hired to take the helm of the 26th film in the franchise. Now, we’ll have to wait and see in the process works out better for Rose-Marsh than it did for Brolin, Neill, and Cavill.
According to THR’s “well-placed source close to the production,” Rose-Marsh was brought in to read sides from 1995’s GoldenEye – and he was given just one piece of direction before the screen test cameras rolled: “Don’t impersonate a previous Bond.”
THR points out that Rose-Marsh is a redhead, and therefore would be “the first ginger Bond” if he were to secure the job. He also happens to be 37 years old, the same age Daniel Craig was when Casino Royale was released, so if he’s seen as a contender for the role, it would dispel the rumor that the producers are aiming to cast an actor under the age of 30.
When Amazon purchased MGM for $8.5 billion back in 2022, they found themselves in the James Bond business, as the Bond franchise was set up at MGM – and they wanted to start making Bond movies as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, creative disagreements between Amazon MGM Studios and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli slowed down the process. So, earlier this year Amazon paid off Wilson and Broccoli (reported price: another $1 billion) so they can gain creative control over the franchise for the foreseeable future, hiring Amy Pascal of Pascal Pictures and David Heyman of Heyday Films to produce the next Bond film. Since then, Dune director Denis Villeneuve has been chosen as the director and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has started writing the screenplay.
Are you familiar with the work of Scott Rose-Marsh? If so, do you think he would be a good choice to play James Bond? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
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