Naomie, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond franchise, doesn’t want Daniel to leave, describing him as the “ultimate Bond”.
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And she’s relishing the role, adding, “I love that I’m representing a Bond woman to admire, not just t**s and a**”.
That decision eventually led to Naomie taking on a series of tough roles, which spiked the interest of the Bond producers, and now she has picked up where Lois Maxwell left off as 007’s sexy and savvy sidekick. “It’s quite demeaning to call her a girl”. Last time, I got three months in Turkey.
Speaking on the red carpet at the Royal premiere of Spectre to Susannah Reid, Naomie said: “It’s incredible”.
The star’s character might have slept with James Bond, but whatever you do – don’t call her a Bond girl.
Naomie, who debuted in 2012’s Skyfall, was joined at the bash by 007 himself Daniel Craig, his wife Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci and Sam Smith – who penned the Spectre soundtrack.
Spectre is the 24th film in the franchise and, as with the long-running Doctor Who with which it shares a tradition of replacing the title character, the Bond films are subject to constant speculation about the main role being played by a white male. Craig also said Spectre features a number of female characters who are willing to set Bond straight.
“When Daniel was cast people were like “oh, he can’t play Bond because he’s got blonde hair”…and now it’s “this person can’t play Bond because they’re black” and I think it’s all a bit ridiculous because it’s missing the point”, she said. “She certainly isn’t a weak, Bond girl of old that needs rescuing. She’s quite capable and independent”, she continued.
The gender of the Bond legacy has become a recent topic of discussion, with Harris saying she does not think it is a bad idea to have a female play the spy. The fact of the matter is that you just want a Bond who inhabits all the essential qualities of Bond: “The charisma, the sexual magnetism, the skill in the field, the elements of danger, his charm and wit”, she said.
The daughter of a Jamaican mother and Trinidadian father, Harris was the first black actor to play Moneypenny, secretary to the head of MI6 “M”, for many years played by Judi Dench.
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“We discussed this one night at 4am and Naomie said the role normally goes to somebody unknown”.
