After months of speculation, Harper’s Bazaar has confirmed that No Time To Die actor Lashana Lynch will be inheriting the title of sophisticated MI6 agent 007 from James Bond.
Lynch’s latest Bazaar interview laid long-standing rumours about a female 007 to rest after confirming the same in an issue that features her as one of its ‘Women of the Year’. The 32-year-old, who will be seen as Nomi in the upcoming Bond film, also detailed her experience of dealing with an onslaught of abuse when rumours of a Black female as the next 007 first started doing the rounds in April of 2019.
Talking about how she was forced to delete social media apps and meditate during the time, Lynch shared that she “comforted herself with the knowledge that the aggressive comments were ultimately not personal.”
“A character that is too slick, a cast-iron figure? That’s completely against what I stand for,” she said, talking about how she wanted her character Nomi to be like. “I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent. I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real life represented,” shared the new bond Lynch.
“In every project, I am part of, no matter the budget or genre, the Black experience that I’m presenting needs to be 100 per cent authentic.”
Nomi is an entirely new character in the franchise, while Daniel Craig will be seen as James Bond for the fifth and final time. No Time To Die also features Rami Malek as Safin, Ana de Armas as Paloma, and Lea Seydoux and Christoph Waltz who are reprising their roles from Spectre.