TIL Desk Bollywood/ Twitter erupted in squeals of delight when Gillian Anderson, star of the American TV series The X-Files, tweeted a mock-up poster of herself as a female James Bond. ‘It’s Bond. Jane Bond,’ she said, at once sparking furious speculation that perhaps she was in the running to play the iconic British spy in the next Bond movie.
Indeed, ever since actor Daniel Craig refused a 68 million pound offer to play 007 for the fifth time, fans have been all aflutter trying to figure out who will get the role next. But wait, James Bond a woman?
The maverick, alpha male, super suave spy, who kills as efficiently as he charms the pants off women, doing the mother of all gender-benders and trading his tux for high heels? So we get to call him — sorry, her — Jane Bond? Or, maybe Jemima Bond, if you like?
It’s a staggering thought, but it’s been expressed for a while. Equal opportunity types have long argued that if Judi Dench can turn in a steely and spectacular performance as M, Bond’s boss at the British secret service MI6, why can’t a woman do a Bond?
In fact, our very own Priyanka Chopra, who has wowed American primetime television with her kickass lead role in Quantico, has scoffed at the suggestion that she could be a ‘Bond girl’ (regulation eye candy in every Bond movie), declaring instead that she wants to play the man himself.