As one of the biggest powerhouses in Hollywood, Helen Mirren certainly knows a thing or two about what makes a good character, movie, franchise, and so on. So, of course, we’re paying extra close attention to her thoughts on the future of the James Bond franchise, which was recently acquired from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson by Amazon MGM Studios.
As it turns out, Mirren, who stars alongside former 007 Pierce Brosnan in the upcoming series MobLand, isn’t exactly a fan of the film series.
“I have to say I was never a great ward [of Bond],” Mirren told The Standard. “I’m a huge fan of Pierce Brosnan, I mean massive fan. I mean, oh my god. Obviously, he’s gorgeous and everything, and I think he’s fabulous in MobLand, but he also happens to be one of the nicest people you’ll ever have the pleasure to work with.” In the series, Mirren plays Brosnan’s character Conrad’s mob wife, Maeve.
Mirren then shared similar kind words about the most recent Bond, Daniel Craig. “And indeed Daniel Craig, who I’ve met and know a little bit,” she said. “Again, a very lovely, gracious person.”
So while she has no problem with the actors themselves, it’s the premise of the movies that hasn’t captured her. “The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing,” she admitted. “It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond.”
If you’re asking yourself why, luckily, Mirren addressed it directly. “I never liked the way women were in James Bond,” she said. “The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism.”
Indeed, fans of James Bond know that there’s a certain pattern onscreen with the so-called “Bond girls.” They could be hopeless damsels in distress or mysterious vixens, but they’re beauty is designed to steal the screen no matter what.
For Mirren, while she knows the portrayal isn’t exactly unflattering, there are so many other stories of women that could be shared and highlighted instead. In fact, the outlet reported she’s “opposed” to the idea of a female Bond.
“Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service; they always have been. And very brave,” she said. “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.”
Over the years, Mirren has stuck by that, starring on the screen time and time again as real inspirational and history-making women, from Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, to Golda Meir in Golda and Maria Altmann in Woman in Gold. We applaud her for it!
Before you go, click here and check out these TV shows about women over 50.
