Dame Helen Mirren has called out the James Bond franchise for its “profound sexism”.
The Oscar winner, 79, who is set to star in the forthcoming crime series MobLand alongside former Bond star Pierce Brosnan, said she’d never been a fan of the 007 films based on Ian Fleming’s character.
Mirren is not the first A-lister to call out the spy franchise for sexism, with Casino Royale star Daniel Craig having dubbed Fleming’s character “very lonely”, sexist and misogynist back in 2015.
Speaking to The Standard, Mirren said: “I have to say I was never a great ward [of Bond]. I’m a huge fan of Pierce Brosnan, I mean massive fan… And indeed Daniel Craig, who I’ve met and know a little bit.”
She continued: “The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing. It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond.”
Mirren went on to highlight discrepancies between the depiction of women in the franchise and the real-world achievements of women in the world of espionage.
“The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism. Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been. And very brave,” she said.
“If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they’re amazingly, unbelievably courageous. So, I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who've worked in that world.”
In 2017, Mirren defended the idea that the next James Bond could be played by a female actor, after Halle Berry admitted she didn’t think the role should ever be taken on by a woman.
When asked if she’d take on the character herself, Mirren told The Telegraph: “I’m too old.
“In my youth, that would have been great, of course. But that time was different; we could never even have imagined a woman playing that role.”
Meanwhile, Brosnan, who will appear as Mirren’s husband, Conrad Harrigan, in MobLand, similarly dismissed the idea of him reappearing as MI6 boss M in any forthcoming Bond films.
“That’s nuts,” he told The Telegraph of taking on the role previously played by Ralph Fiennes and Dame Judi Dench. “Oh for God’s sake,” he added. “Let’s see where the wind takes us.”
Production on the next James Bond film is underway after “being fast-tracked” for release following Amazon’s $1bn acquisition.
Last month, it was revealed that Amazon MGM had taken full creative control of the Bond franchise after striking a deal with long-time producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
The film is reportedly expected to be in cinemas by the end of 2027, with a source telling The Sun: “The Bond bosses had already proposed broad plots and reboot ideas.
“The writers’ rooms are being assembled in the hope of recouping their investment ASAP.”
