Could Hugh Jackman be the next James Bond? The actor said that he was very interested in playing the British spy when current Bond, Daniel Craig, eventually steps down as the British spy. "I'd seriously consider it," he said of the role.
Jackman made an appearance on an Australian TV show where he claimed he already turned down the role of 007 once. "At the time I was just about to do X-Men 2 and I was like, 'Ah, I don't think it's the right time,'" the actor said, according to The Mirror. "But it was not an easy one to give up."
The timing of Jackmans comments were perfect. Craig recently suggested that the next Bond film, titled "Spectre," might be his last. "At this moment, no. I have a life and I've got to get on with it a bit. But we'll see. I really don't know. Honestly. I'm not trying to be coy. At the moment I can't even conceive it," Craig told Esquire Magazine.
The news of Jackman wanting to play 007 came after a bit of controversy surrounding the possibility of actor Idris Elba taking over for Craig. Anthony Horowitz, the author of the new Bond novel, said he thought Elba was "too street" to play the character, reported TIME. Fans were outraged, and Horowitz apologized for his comments on Twitter.
"I was asked in my interview if Idris Elba would make a good James Bond. In the article I expressed the opinion that to my mind Adrian Lester would be a better choice but I'm a writer not a casting director so what do I know?" the author wrote. "Clumsily, I chose the word 'street' as Elba's gritty portrayal of DCI John Luther was in my mind but I admit it was a poor choice of word."
