The era-defining ‘Bond girl’ who almost turned down their role: “I was a bit stupid and naive”
Having spent four decades as one of Hollywood’s most non-negotiable archetypes, it’s completely understandable that any actor would be wary of being cast as the female lead in a James Bond movie.
After all, the first 20 instalments in the long-running spy franchise weren’t known for their complex and three-dimensional women, especially when new writers were literally handed a dossier that contained the only four versions of the trope that would suffice.
Some actors signed on in the hopes of boosting their careers with the early exposure that starring alongside one of cinema’s most iconic characters would bring, although it quickly developed a reputation for being one of the industry’s sharpest double-edged swords.
While plenty of former ‘Bond girls’ have thrived away from the noise generated by their 007 appearances, others confessed that it had a detrimental effect on their prospects. Several even voiced their regrets over cosying up to the suave secret agent in the first place, which is exactly why Eva Green was so apprehensive.
Whenever a new Bond is being cast, the identity of the next actor to don the tux takes precedence. There was a ludicrous backlash when Daniel Craig was announced as the star of Casino Royale, which, by default, allowed the search for the next ‘Bond girl’ to unfold in the background with less publicity.
Longtime casting director Debbie McWilliams confirmed that “the two who were very strongly considered were Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron.” Cécile De France was also in the running, but “her English wasn’t really up to scratch for us.” Green ultimately got the role of Vesper Lynd, but only after she’d already turned it down.
“I was probably a bit stupid or naive,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I said, ‘Ugh, a Bond girl? What kind of prissy girl is that?’ They also kept the script a secret. So it wasn’t until they gave me the script that I realised it was a meaty role. I didn’t see her as a ‘Bond girl’. She’s a strong character; she’s got cracks. I liked her, so of course I’ll go and audition.”
By the time the credits had rolled on Casino Royale, Green was already established as one of the most memorable ‘Bond girls’ yet. Not only could she hold her own against Craig’s debuting 007 in the dramatic and action stakes, but she was given genuine agency and a character arc, a far cry from the previous eras when the top-billed women in the cast of a Bond flick were rarely more than eye candy.
Green’s Lynd would define Craig’s entire five-film and 15-year tenure as Bond, with her death haunting him throughout the rest of his run in the sort of long-form arc the series had never incorporated into its narrative before. And to think, it was almost someone else in the role.
