‘Move over, Dench’: Daisy May Cooper responds to James Bond casting rumour

‘This Country’ star was rumoured to be in the running for the role of M

This Country star Daisy May Cooper has responded to speculation that she could be cast as M in the next James Bond film.

The role of the MI6 boss was most recently played by Ralph Fiennes, and before that by Dame Judi Dench.

Last year, it was reported that Cooper was in talks to take over the role for the currently unannounced next Bond project.

She is known to be a friend of Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who worked as a writer on the 2021 Bond entry No Time to Die.

However, at the time, she denied having any involvement in the franchise.

Speaking to NME in a new interview, Cooper explained the origins of the rumour, and suggested that she would be willing to step into the part if offered it.

“I think it was on the radio… they were discussing who they want to be the next M and then somebody mentioned my name and from then it just went like f***ing wildfires,” she said.

“I had the Daily Mail knocking at my parents’ door at night.”

Responding to the suggestion that she would excel at playing a younger version of the character, Cooper said: “Yeah, give me a f***ing part. Move over, Dench!”

Uncertainty over who will play M is just one of the unknowns regarding the next Bond film.

Actor Daisy May Cooper (Getty Images)

At this point, it’s still unclear who will take over the lead role, after Daniel Craig retired from the franchise with No Time to Die.

Among the leading candidates to play 007 are Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page and Happy Valley’s James Norton – according to the bookmakers, that is.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

In an interview with The Independent in June, Cooper reflected on her relationship with her brother and This Country co-star, Charlie.

“To go from being so close, these vagabonds who were in it together through thick and thin, to suddenly not speaking for long periods of time because one of us is filming or the other has got a baby... I’m finding that really f***ing hard, and it’s actually making me question a lot of things about who I am and what I want,” she said.

You can read the full interview here.