Naomie Harris admits hesitation over 007 audition: 'I thought I was playing a Bond girl'

The Hollywood star features on Reggie Yates' new podcast 
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Isobel Frodsham18 October 2019
The Weekender

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Naomie Harris has said she was initially hesitant about auditioning for James Bond as traditional Bond girls are not “representative” of her and her values.

The actress, who has starred in the famous spy franchise alongside Daniel Craig since 2012, had no idea producers were secretly considering her for the role of Eve Moneypenny in Skyfall.

Speaking on Belstaff’s The Road Less Travelled podcast, hosted by Reggie Yates, she said: “I actually thought when I was auditioning for the role that I was auditioning for a Bond girl.

“That’s what they told me and they told everybody that they were auditioning for a Bond girl. And I was like, ‘Me as a Bond [girl] I just don't see it, like I just don't,’ you know?

“And you're never given the script when you're auditioning for Bond either.”

Naomie and Reggie, shot by Greg Williams
Greg Williams/Belstaff

She added: “I had no idea what it was going to be like. I was thinking, ‘Well am I going to be a tits and arse kind of Bond girl thing? You know, I mean, really? That's not really me.’

“I was auditioning but I just thought, ‘I'm going to have a real crossroads when they actually give me the script’ because it is not, you know, something that's representative of me and all my values.”

Harris as Moneypenny

At her third audition, Harris, 43, was told the truth about the part.

“They were just like, ‘Look, you're not auditioning for a Bond girl, you're actually auditioning for the role of Eve Moneypenny. She's going to be a bad-ass, kick-ass out in the field with Bond, going toe to toe with him,’” she said.

“I was like, ‘Yes, this is so me!’ A big part of it was Sam Mendes' idea…so it wasn't a real dilemma for me at all because I was like ‘This is totally in line with who I am and what I want to represent.’”

Harris was introduced into franchise as a field agent who later retires to become the secretary for Mallory or M, the head of MI6, played by Ralph Fiennes, 56.

Naomie Harris will reprise her role in the next Bond film (Greg Williams for Belstaff )
Greg Williams for Belstaff

Moneypenny historically is not seen as a Bond girl – typically a sidekick and love interest to the British spy – as she has a professional relationship with him.

Harris is due to reprise her role as Eve in the latest instalment, No Time to Die, which is out next year.

The movie, which is the 25th Bond film, is expected to be 51-year-old Craig’s final outing as 007.

The Road Less Travelled with Naomie Harris is available on Monday from Apple podcasts, Spotify and belstaff.co.uk.

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