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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Dominique Hines

Daisy May Cooper lined up to bring ‘comedic edge’ to M in new Bond film

Comedian Daisy May Cooper could be stepping into the shoes of  Dame Judi Dench as iconic spy boss M in the next Bond film.

The lesser-known actress is reportedly in talks with film bosses who believe she could bring a “comedic and quirky edge” to the role.

Despite having won the 2018 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in BBC Three series This Country, the 36-year-old is yet to be a household name.

The role of M has previously been played by Hollywood heavyweights Dame Judi, 88, and Ralph Fiennes, 60.

Simply being considered for the coveted role is a massive coup for the actress, who is friends with No Time to Die co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Cooper (L) with co-star Charlie Cooper in BBC Three mockumentary, This Country (BBC)

A source told The Sun: “Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation.

“Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking M in a different direction.

“With Daniel [Craig] leaving, it seemed the time to start looking at changes across the board and the dynamic between Bond and ‘M’ is at the heart of the films.

007 writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge is pals with Cooper (Getty Images)

"So this opens the door to it being a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards – and will of course impact the direction the new 007 goes in too."

The publication added that the return to a female M indicated that the next Bond is likely to remain male after speculation that the spy would be played by a woman in the next film.

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