Daisy May Cooper “hasn’t heard anything” about being lined up to play M in the next James Bond film.
The actress’ mum Gillian Cooper made the claim after it was reported this week the actress, 36, was in negotiations to take the role as part of a shake up of the 007 franchise, and said she was with her daughter after the news broke, which left them mystified.
Gillian told Mail Online: “Daisy’s everywhere at the moment – I’ll scramble through my phone and her picture will come up.
“She was with me this morning and we saw the story in the news about her playing ‘M’ in the new Bond movies and she thought it was hilarious... she’s not heard anything. Where that’s come from? I’ve no idea.
“I don’t know if someone's put her name forward, but she’d be perfect, and it’d be a really different direction for her and for the Bond films because she’d put back a bit of humour.
“She’d be a fantastic choice for them if they did it. But it’s the first she’s heard about it.”
It was reported on Tuesday (21.03.23) by The Sun that Bond producers hoped Daisy – a friend of ‘No Time to Die’ co-writer Phoebe Waller Bridge – will bring a “comedic and quirky edge” to the role, which has previously been played by acting heavyweights Dame Judi Dench, 88, and 60-year-old Ralph Fiennes.
A source told the newspaper about plans to change the tone of the spy flicks in the wake of Bond star Daniel Craig, 55, leaving the franchise after playing 007 in five films from 2006 to 2021: “Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation.
“Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking ‘M’ in a different direction.
“With Daniel leaving, it seemed the time to start looking at changes across the board and the dynamic between Bond and ‘M’ is at the heart of the films.
“So this opens the door to it being a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards – and will of course impact the direction the new 007 goes in too.”
The Sun added film insiders said the decision to return to a female ‘M’ is another sign the next Bond will remain male after speculation the spy’s gender could be changed for the next installment.
Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service ‘M’ has appeared since James Bond’s beginning in the Ian Fleming novels, and was based on the writer’s superior in the Naval Intelligence Division during World War Two.
After gaining critical acclaim and a Bafta for her role in BBC mockumentary ‘This Country’, Daisy made her black comedy ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’ for BBC1, which also received rave reviews.
