Helen Mirren Has a Bone To Pick With James Bond
Helen Mirren is getting ready to rule TV as a gang leader on MobLand, but she was asked her thoughts on the James Bond franchise since Amazon MGM took control. Her Paramount+ co-star Pierce Brosnan played the legendary 007 for four films between 1995 and 2002.
The 79-year-old British star was asked by The Standard as to why she never appeared in one of the iconic films, especially given her high profile in the U.K. film community. Other esteemed actresses, including Dame Judy Dench have been a big part of the franchise.
“The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing," she explained to The Standard. "It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond. … The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism." The movies have never shied away from the Bond girls, who have broken his heart over and over again.
Sophie Mutevelian/Paramount+
Mirren shared that "women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service" and described them as "very brave." She added, "If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they’re amazingly, unbelievably courageous. So, I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who’ve worked in that world.
Still, she adores her MobLand co-star despite her criticism of the Bond movies. “I have to say I was never a great ward [of Bond],” Mirren said. “I’m a huge fan of Pierce Brosnan; I mean massive fan." She also had praise for another actor who formerly played the British spy, Daniel Craig. She described him as a "very lovely gracious person."
MobLand premieres on Paramount+ on Sunday, March 30.
Related: 'MobLand' Has a Stacked Cast, Killer Premise, and a Fast-Approaching Release Date