Bond actress Naomie Harris says she hopes franchise doesn’t become ‘too modern’

James Bond actress Naomie Harris has said she hopes the franchise does not become “too modern” following its sale to Amazon.

The British actress, who features on the latest digital cover of Harper’s Bazaar, also suggested that Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page would be a good fit to play the next Bond.

Harris, 48, starred as Eve Moneypenny in the Bond films Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die, alongside Daniel Craig as the martini-swirling 007.

Speaking about her Bond character, she said: “I knew I was being hired to reinvent the role, so I purposely didn’t go back and watch old Bond movies – I just set out to connect with the heart and soul of the character.

“I was just in Black Bag with Rege-Jean Page, and he does wear a suit very well.”

Craig’s fifth film, 2021’s No Time To Die, was his final appearance in the role after 15 years as the spy with the licence to kill, with the new Bond not yet announced.

Speaking about the recent sale of the Bond franchise to Amazon MGM, Harris said she hopes it does not become too “modern”.

She said: “I hope they don’t try to make it too modern – we all grew up with Bond and I think it needs those classic elements for people to connect with it.”

Harris plays therapist Dr Zoe Vaughan in the upcoming spy-thriller Black Bag alongside Page who takes on the role of Colonel James Stokes.

Page is best known for his breakout role as Simon Basset in the first season of the period drama Bridgerton.

Black Bag, directed by Steven Soderbergh, follows intelligence agent George Woodhouse, played by German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender, who is asked to investigate his beloved wife – and spy – Kathryn Woodhouse, played by Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who is suspected of betraying the nation.

Harris is also set to star in a new comedy TV show, Hysterical, which reportedly was inspired by the controversial internet personality Andrew Tate.

Featuring British actress Jameela Jamil and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, the series follows a group of friends who embark on a mission to take down a misogynistic influencer after one of their daughters is assaulted by one of his fans.

She said: “My feeling is that a lot has been written and said about the challenges of being a woman today – and I think all of those points are incredibly valid – but not enough is being spoken about the challenges of being a man, about male suicide rates and that sense of being disconnected.

“I think it’s understandable that Andrew Tate could be highly attractive to men who are having a hard time, and I see him as a warning that we need to do more to focus on the plight of young men in particular.”

Harris appeared in the 2016 coming-of-age story Moonlight, earning herself nominations at the Golden Globes, Baftas and Oscars – and she was made an OBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama.