James Norton has ruled himself out of becoming the next James Bond, saying he believes he may now be too “long in the tooth” to take on the iconic role.
The Happy Valley star, 41, has long been linked with the part of 007 and is among a number of actors who have been the subject of speculation since Daniel Craig confirmed that No Time To Die would be his final appearance as the famous British secret agent.
Speaking on Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby, Norton was asked how often he had been questioned about the possibility of playing Bond.
He said: “I've been asked a thousand times over the last 10 years. And I can honestly, hand on heart, say no.
“I think I may be a little bit long in the tooth now.”
Speculation over who will replace Craig has continued since the release of No Time To Die in 2021. However, the next actor to take on the role has yet to be officially announced.
During the interview, Norton also reflected on some of the roles he missed out on earlier in his career, revealing that he auditioned to play Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise.
Asked about parts he had failed to secure, Norton said there had been a “massive load” of auditions that did not result in him landing the role.
He explained: “The list is endless because at the beginning of your career, you are hustling and you are also sent in for these mad auditions that you would never get.
“Very early on I went in for Fifty Shades of Grey. And I remember very clearly the casting director at the end of my tape saying: ‘It’s fine but I just think you need to be a bit more charismatic’.”
Norton joked that being told to be “more charismatic” was a particularly difficult piece of feedback to receive.
“And think about it – ‘be more charismatic’ is the worst,” he said. “It’s basically like saying ‘just live a bit cooler and be a bit better at life’.
“And surprisingly I didn’t get that role.”
The part of Christian Grey ultimately went to Northern Irish actor Jamie Dornan, who starred opposite Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of E L James’s bestselling novel.
While Norton may have missed out on that role and now appears to have ruled himself out of the race to become the next Bond, he remains one of the best-known British actors to have been repeatedly linked with the famous spy.
