Josh O'Connor Breaks Silence On Rumours He's In The Running To Play James Bond

Josh O’Connor has spoken out for the first time about rumours that he’s one of the few actors left in the running to take over at the helm of the James Bond franchise.

Speculation has been rife for years now about who will succeed Daniel Craig in the role of 007, with Callum Turner and Jack Lowden among those widely reported to be frontrunners for the coveted gig.

Last month, it was claimed that four actors were through to the last round of the casting process – and, interestingly, this marked the first time that Josh’s name was mentioned in the press as a serious contender for the job.

Asked about this by BBC Gloucestershire, Josh admitted that it was an “incredibly bizarre ‘pinch-me moment’” to even be “uttered in that same sentence”, and “considered for something like that”.

“I’m very honoured,” he shared. “But I’m afraid there’s nothing to say beyond that.”

Josh’s comments come just days after Jack Lowden broke his own silence on the ongoing rumours about him joining the James Bond universe.

“It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role,” the Slow Horses star told GQ Hype, while maintaining that he “really” didn’t want to “add to the noise” by saying any more.

“As a young male actor, generally, the minute you’re not playing a zany artist type, the minute you’re in a suit, people fling it at you,” he added.

The next James Bond movie will beoverseen by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, andpenned by Steven Knight, the writer of hit shows likePeaky Blinders andHouse Of Guinness.

Production company Amazon MGM previously confirmed: “The search for the next James Bond is underway.

“While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”