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As the years-long wait for a new James Bond to be announced rumbles on, a surprise new contender is being tipped for the role.
And rather than coming from the bookies, whispers of this candidate’s name have reached the industry trades, suggesting an air of potential that other widely proclaimed front-runners don’t always have.
If this rumour bears fruit, the actor in question will also become the youngest 007 ever by some considerable margin.
Louis Partridge is just 22, seven years younger than the youngest actor so far to play him, with model George Lazenby only 29 at the time of shooting 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
But now Variety is reporting speculation has reached the team that he’s ‘in contention for the job’, which has been empty since Daniel Craig handed in his licence to kill after 2021’s No Time to Die.
Partridge’s team has yet to respond and the actor himself hasn’t said anything publicly.
He did, however joke to the publication last year of ways to impress Bond 26 scribe Steven Knight: ‘Maybe I could be at the bar, swilling a martini, saying nothing.’
And herein lies the compelling link, for Partridge played one of the main roles in Knight’s splashy Netflix series House of Guinness last year, and made the Bond-coded comment just after Knight’s next job had just been announced.
So, while it remains rumour for now, the young star has already impressed in a project for Knight, who often enjoys working with the same actors, such as Stephen Graham, who appeared in Peaky Blinders and led A Thousand Blows, and Tom Hardy – another Peaky alum who also co-created with Knight and starred in Taboo.
Aside from House of Guinness, Partridge enjoyed a breakthorugh playing Millie Bobby Brown’s love interest in Enola Holmes and its sequel; he has also previously dated singer Olivia Rodrigo.
It’s long been reported that producers were looking for a younger actor to play Bond for this reboot, since before Amazon MGM Studio acquired creative control of the franchise from Eon.
But with Amazon a major backer, the company is also known to be keen to expand 007 into other projects too, such as spin-off series and maybe a prequel.
Two seasons of reality competition 007: Road to a Million, hosted by actor Brian Cox, have already been produced, while Amazon Prime Video happens to be the streaming home for Riz Ahmed’s new series Bait, all about a struggling actor using the rumour that he auditioned for Bond to resuscitate his career.
A younger Bond – the publication reports ‘fresh-faced’ is a casting term that has been doing the rounds – would increase not only the number of main films they could lead, but also their potential involvement in other related content.
Partridge – a Prada ambassador – also comes with a very attractive 8.5 million Instagram followers, another benefit of younger stars, without having reached Hollywood’s A-List just yet.
In contrast, Craig was 38 when Casino Royale came out and 53 by the time No Time to Die was finally released.
Sir Sean Connery was 32 when he became the first onscreen Bond, Pierce Brosnan was 42 for his first film, and Sir Roger Moore was 45.
Partridge, who also starred in Disclaimer, Pistol and had a small role in George Clooney and Adam Sandler movie Jay Kelly, will next appear in Netflix’s new adaptation of Pride & Prejudice as the rakish George Wickham.
Other names who have been favourites for Bond recently include 28-year-old Jacob Elordi and 36-year-old Callum Turner, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 35, was falsely reported to have been cast in the role in 2024.
Metro has contacted reps for Louis Partridge for comment.
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