The James Bond scene Ralph Fiennes refused to shoot: “I had to have some pretty intense discussions”
What comes next after playing the villain in one of the most successful film franchises of all time? For Ralph Fiennes, the answer was simple: step into the role of a hero in another iconic series. Having brought Lord Voldemort to life in the Harry Potter films, the British actor joined the James Bond universe in 2012’s Skyfall. Following the death of Judi Dench’s M, Fiennes’ character, Gareth Mallory, took on the legendary mantle. He continued as 007’s boss in Spectre and No Time to Die, solidifying his place in the franchise’s history.
Joining the juggernaut spy series must have felt like serious vindication for Fiennes, given that he had previously been passed over for the role of Bond in 1994 and then again in 2004. However, even dream jobs come with their pitfalls, as the esteemed actor found out when filming Spectre.
Speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2021, Fiennes explained how he needed to fight hard to challenge director Sam Mendes over the direction of his character. There were plans to have M turn out to be a villain, but the actor refused. “I said, ‘I don’t want to play M and then you turn around and make him the bad guy. M is never the bad guy’,” Fiennes said. “I had to have some pretty intense discussions with Sam saying, ‘This is not flying with me.’”
On the podcast, Fiennes gave away few details about Mendes’ original plan, only revealing, “He was Blofeld or something.” Whatever the idea was, it never came to fruition, as the role of Bond’s most famous foe went to Christoph Waltz instead. It is unclear whether or not Mallory would have also been revealed as Bond’s adoptive brother, as was the case with Waltz’s Blofeld. This decision was much maligned by the fanbase, and that’s putting it lightly.
It’s easy to see why Fiennes was so keen to keep M pure. The head of MI6 is just as much a part of the franchise as Bond himself, going back to the days when Bernard Lee first portrayed the stern yet affable spy chief opposite Sean Connery. Dench took over the role from Robert Brown, beginning with 1995’s GoldenEye. She played the role for 17 years, tied with Lee for the longest service as M, although the latter appeared in more films.
It might have gone against tradition, but turning M evil certainly would have been undeniably interesting. Pitting Bond against the person he is meant to trust above everyone else would have shaken up the franchise’s formula. After Skyfall strengthened the connection between Bond and Dench’s M, it would have been a nice contrast to see him fighting her replacement. Also, we know that Fiennes has the pedigree to play a villain.
As the world awaits the announcement of the next Bond, spare a thought for Fiennes and the other side characters from Daniel Craig’s tenure. It is unclear whether Mallory will stay on as the head of British Intelligence or if Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, or Ben Whishaw will keep their jobs as Moneypenny, Tanner, and Q, respectively. If Fiennes does get the all-clear, then maybe fans will see him turn to the dark side one day after all.
