James Purefoy on his potential as 007 #6 - I would be very honored to play James Bond

The Boston Herald caught up with British actor James Purefoy to chat about his latest role in the forthcoming "Vanity Fair", and quizzed him about his potential as the next James Bond.

James Purefoy, the actor who plays the aristocratic cad at the heart of 'Vanity Fair,' laughs when asked about his career path.

"Somebody called me a rising star the other day," he said. "I'm 40! How many years can I do that for?''

After more than a decade onstage and in costume films such as "Mansfield Park'' and "A Knight's Tale,'' Purefoy finally has found his leading role as the dissolute but charming Rawdon Crawley, a kind of English Rhett Butler who drives Reese Witherspoon's Becky mad with desire despite his insatiable self-destructiveness.

"Casting Rawdon took me six months,'' said director Mira Nair. "I loved James' voice. He was like a new James Bond. Also, I wanted not a movie star opposite a movie star or otherwise you have this Miramax cast and the reality lessens.''

Ironically, Purefoy almost qualifies as the real thing in this escapade about a young woman striving to go from nothing to the ruling class.

"I wouldn't say we're upper class, but certainly my family came to England in 1066. Lived in the same house in Buckingshire ever since. They're only gentry. We're not titled. Yet.''

He laughed again. "One of the reasons I really wanted to play the part was that I just understand where these kinds of men come from. I know Rawdon's indolent and lazy. Like a lot of the British upper classes of the time were.''

Purefoy doesn't think starring opposite the "Legally Blonde'' box-office queen will count as his big break.

"I've been doing this job a long time now,'' he said. "And is it a big break? Do you know what? `Knight's Tale' was my big break. Bizarrely. I had five minutes in `Knight's Tale,' and that opened more doors for me than any number of popular British films or great stage performances that I may or may not have given. `Knight's Tale' was the thing that helped me, more than anything else, because it was a hit movie. And that's what people pay attention to in Los Angeles.''

As for the rumors that he actually might play 007, Purefoy, a single father with a 7-year-old son, is ready to have his martinis shaken, not stirred.

"I would be very honored to play James Bond,'' he said. "I think it's a terrific iconic part, but I also think it's full of pitfalls. You know, Pierce (Brosnan) has been very successful. Would you want to be the one who dropped the ball?''



America undoubtedly will discover Purefoy in June when HBO's massive $450-million series ``Rome'' debuts. He plays Marc Anthony, the Roman soldier who avenged Julius Caesar's death, loved Cleopatra and went down in flames and glory.

"(Marlon) Brando and (Richard) Burton played him. It's a heavy one, to step into those shoes, but you say to Roman men especially who ask, `What are you playing?' and you go, `Me, I'm Marco Antonio.' And they get very excited. They just love him. He's their big hero, I guess because he was a lover and a fighter. He's great militarily; he's tough in that way. He's elegant, and has affairs left to right, down the center.''

Maybe he's not so far from Rawdon or James Bond at all.

Thanks to `Mathewww` for the alert.

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