Wow, so we are truly off and running with an actual Bond 26 shortlist, as Page Six reports that sources have identified (double-0) seven actors who all have a shot at becoming 007 (for convenience, I’ve linked their Wikipedia pages and listed their ages):
- Jack Barton (31)
- Harris Dickinson (30)
- Jacob Elordi (29)
- Jack Lowden (36)
- Paul Mescal (30)
- Jack O’Connell (36)
- Callum Turner (36)
It’s an an intriguing mix that obviously gives us plenty to debate, but I think the main delineation in the group comes down to their current fame level. Elordi, Mescal and Turner are the most recognizable names of the bunch, the “famous three”, while the other four arrive with considerably less mainstream baggage, which I suspect could work in their favor. Personally, I’m firmly in the “other four” camp, and I’d be quite happy if any one of Barton, Dickinson, Lowden or O’Connell emerged from the pack. There’s something particularly appealing about the possibility of an actor who isn’t already everywhere suddenly becoming James Bond.
And now I’m wondering how each of them would fare performing the From Russia With Love hotel-room scene that has reportedly been used in the audition process. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for seven would-be Bonds trying to convince everyone that their version of 007 is the one worth ordering a martini shaken, not stirred!
