The search for James Bond is coming down to the wire.
According to Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios will hold final auditions for actors vying to play James Bond. Screen tests could begin as early as Friday, and continue into next week. Four actors are expected to put on the tuxedo and test for the role. Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, and Josh O’Connor are three of the reported names, while the fourth actor remains a mystery.
If the next Bond comes from that group, which actor should play 007? Ahead of the screen tests, let’s rank the three finalists.
James Bond finalists ranked
3) Josh O’Connor
Of the three names, O’Connor is the biggest surprise. The 36-year-old British actor broke out as Charles, Prince of Wales, in Seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown. For his performance in Season 4, O’Connor won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Since The Crown, O’Connor’s stock has only grown. Notable roles include Challengers, Wake Up Dead Man, and Disclosure Day. O’Connor is also willing to work in smaller, independent films with respectable directors, including Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind and Alice Rohrwacher’s La chimera.
O’Connor is the pick if Amazon wants the best actor. He also has a strong theater background, a quality he shares with Daniel Craig. However, O’Connor has little experience with action franchises, and his manic energy may better suit Q instead of Bond.
2. Callum Turner
Turner has been a popular pick ever since Amazon MGM Studios took over creative control from the Broccoli family. To be fair, Turner looks like an actor who would play Bond. He’s tall, handsome, and British. Turner is also married to Dua Lipa, so his celebrity persona is rising.
Turner’s breakthrough came as Theseus Scamander in two Fantastic Beasts movies. Turner parlayed those appearances into starring roles in The Boys in the Boat, Masters of the Air, Eternity, and One Night Only. In 2027, the 36-year-old will star in Apple TV’s Neuromancer series and Paramount’s Possession remake.
As for Bond, Amazon likely looked closely at Turner’s performances in Masters of the Air for his ability to handle action and Eternity for his potential as a heartthrob. Turner’s star is rising, so Amazon picking him to lead Bond 26 is justifiable.
1. Jack Lowden
If I had to bet on one of the three to be the next Bond, odds are good for Lowden. Like Turner, the 36-year-old actor has been one of the rumored Bond candidates. Lowden starred in several British miniseries during the 2010s, including War & Peace and The Long Song. American audiences likely took notice of Lowden in 2017’s Dunkirk and 2019’s Mary Queen of Scots.
Slow Horses is the show that has put Lowden at the top of this list. His role as River Cartwright has been an unofficial tryout for playing 007. Lowden has received two Emmy nominations for his performance. Gary Oldman, Lowden’s Slow Horses costar, has publicly supported Lowden as the next Bond.
Lowden is the best of both worlds. He has the theatrical training of O’Connor and the heroic look of Turner. He’d be an inspired casting choice.