Taron Egerton can’t be James Bond because of weight struggles

According to Taron Egerton, he doesn’t fit the James Bond mold.

The “Tetris” actor has responded to rumors that he will be the next 007 in the famous franchise after Daniel Craig’s last appearance.

“I don’t think I’d be the right choice for this,” said “Rocketman” star Edgerton The Telegraph. “You have to be statuesque all the time to be that guy. And that’s what I’m still striving for. I have always struggled with my weight.”

Edgerton added that playing Bond is “a bit like being a brand ambassador and being an actor. And it can be a lot of fun in microcosm, but I’m sure I read that (producer) Barbara Broccoli said it was a 15-year commitment.”

The “Blackbird” star continued: “Anyway, it’s irrelevant how I feel about it because I can tell you there were zero phone calls.”

Producer Broccoli previously shared in June 2022 that the next Bond film would be at least two years away. “It’s the reinvention of Bond,” he said. “We’re reinventing who he is, and that’s going to take time.”

Broccoli noted that anointing the next Bond is a “big decision” for the direction of the franchise, which is now owned by Amazon since the conglomerate bought MGM. “It’s not just a casting. It’s about rethinking where we’re going,” Broccoli said, while Regé-Jean Page, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill and Jacob Elordi were reportedly shortlisted for the role. Elba later shot down rumors that he was in the running.

Longtime Bond producer Michael G. Wilson revealed that the new Bond is “already a veteran” and should be a “30-something” actor. Wilson also shared that all Bonds must audition for the 1963 episode “From Russia With Love” starring Sean Connery. In the series, Connery’s Bond confronts Soviet military member Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) as she lies in her bed wearing only a necklace.

“We always use the same scene, and it’s the one in ‘From Russia With Love,’ where Bond comes back to his room after the assassination and starts taking off his shirt, goes in the room to take a bath. Then he hears something, pulls out his gun, goes in and she’s in the bed,” Wilson said. “That was the test we used. Anyone who can recall this scene is the right Bond. It’s hard to do.”

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