Former “James Bond” star Pierce Brosnan has made his pick for who should play the iconic spy next: Cillian Murphy.
At the Oscar Wilde Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night, Brosnan was asked by the BBC for his opinion on which actor should play Bond after Daniel Craig retired from the role in 2021.
“Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty’s Secret Service,” Brosnan said of his fellow Irishman, who was also on hand at the event celebrating Irish talent.
Brosnan played Bond from 1995 to 2002, delivering four films: “GoldenEye,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The World Is Not Enough” and “Die Another Day.” He then passed the baton to Craig, who embodied the enigmatic figure in five movies from 2006 to 2021.
Ever since Craig stepped down, rumors have been swirling regarding who will take on 007. Other big names that have been tossed around include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page and Henry Cavill, but so far nothing has been confirmed.
Murphy’s star has risen considerably in the past year with his performance in “Oppenheimer” as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. He’s considered a shoe-in to win the best actor Oscar on Sunday for his performance, having already nabbed the BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG trophies this awards season.
With his first post-“Oppenheimer” film, historical drama “Small Things Like These,” having already premiered last month at Berlin Film Festival, Murphy’s schedule is looking pretty free should Brosnan’s prediction come to fruition.
