The race for the next James Bond is heating up, with four finalists currently being tested for the most coveted role in movies. One candidate is Slow Horses star Jack Lowden, but the Scottish actor recently threw cold water on the suggestion he will be the next 007.
Speaking to British GQ, Lowden was inevitably quizzed about being subject to the relentless Bond rumor mill, only to "suck" his teeth in response. "On this… It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I’m just not really going to add to the noise." British GQ described the response as a "bucket of cold water, poured with care."
Back in September, Lowden's Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman said the next Bond had already been cast, pointedly adding that Lowden was on the shortlist. Oldman later walked back the comments on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, but where there's smoke there's fire, and numerous reports since have identified Lowden as one of the final four.
“It’s very nice, and Gary’s a sweetheart," Lowden said of Oldman's comments. "It's particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don’t really listen to it. As a young male actor, generally, the minute you’re not playing a zany artist type, the minute you’re in a suit, people fling it at you."
The other Bond potentials reportedly include Callum Turner, Josh O'Connor, and a mystery fourth actor who has yet to be identified. While Lowden is something of a fan-favorite choice, having already played a British spy on the long-running Apple TV series Slow Horses, Lowden's many Apple TV commitments could be a potential hurdle to the star playing Bond. Not only is season 7 of Slow Horses in production for next year, but season 8 has already been confirmed, with Lowden's River Cartwright expected to appear in both (despite that season 6 cliffhanger). Lowden is also set to appear in Apple TV's series adaptation of Berlin Noir alongside Colin Firth, potentially leaving little time to play Bond.
If Lowden is cast as the next 007, the perfect Bond villain is sitting right there, as Lowden's real-life wife Saoirse Ronan has said she's "dead serious" about playing a Bond villain.
Slow Horses season 6 is currently streaming on Apple TV. For more, check out our ranking of the best James Bond movies.
