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Miss Moneypenny during the past four films, Samantha
Bond says she is stepping down from MI6 secretarial
duties...
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Samantha Bond - Enough Is Enough
16th November 2004
Samantha Bond, who has played Miss
Moneypenny in the last four James Bond films, says it is time
to step down from her MI6 duties now that Pierce Brosnan has ruled
himself out as returning for a fifth movie. Staying true
to her word, Bond has confirmed that she will not be coming
back to Vauxhall Cross secretarial duties now that Brosnan has
departed.
"I just don't want to go on being Moneypenny
if Pierce isn't there," said 41 year-old Samantha Bond
to the Daily Record (UK).
"I really don't. It's an age thing, for a start. Pierce
is just that little bit older than me - eight years - -
and when he's doing all that saucy flirting with Moneypenny,
it looks OK and a lot of fun, which it is. And she, of course,
has her fantasies about being with him, having a romance.
It's a gift of a role."
With next actor is almost guaranteed to be younger than
51 year-old Pierce Brosnan, Bond can't see how the office
tension could be kept up.
"I think it's going to look a bit off having a nod
and a wink and a flirty moment,' she said. 'Not very tasteful,
to my mind. In fact, it could look a bit gruesome and icky.
Older lady, much younger bloke - I don't think so. There
is one guy who I might consider as an exception if he was
to be cast. But I am not going to reveal who he is, and
wild horses won't get his name out of me."
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Above: Samantha Bond played Miss Moneypenny
in the four Bond films featuring Pierce Brosnan. |
Brosnan's Departure
Fans have been angered by the lack of official information on
the current film's status, but they are not the only ones being
kept in the dark - regular cast members had little knowledge of
events either.
"When I first heard that Pierce was supposed to be calling
it a day, I honestly wondered if the rumour was all part of a
terribly elaborate publicity stunt", she said. But like a
lot of people, her first confirmation of the news came through
watching a British television interview with Brosnan.
She said: "We both looked at each other and said: 'Well,
he's just said it himself, so that's the end of the line'."
Above: Samantha Bond at the gala premiere
of "Die Another Day" on 18th November 2002. |
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Looking Forward
Despite the raft of media speculation and hounding of the
franchise, a single candidate has yet to elevate himself
above the crowd of potential 007's, but Bond did comment
on a few of the rumours.
"[Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell] both have highly
successful careers. Would they really want to become linked
to someone like Bond, who is really such a very strong image
and identity? Those two guys can do big earner films in
their own right. They don't need it. And from what I hear
of Mr Farrell's rather salty, non-compromising language,
I wonder if they might have to bleep out a lot of the expletives?
I'm Bond, James bleep Bond. Perhaps not."
'The other name being mentioned is James Purefoy. But
he's got a contract to play Mark Antony in the BBC's TV
production of Rome which will occupy the next five years,
so that could be difficult to get around. And all those
guys are younger than me, so..." |
What should the next MI6 regular expect?
"The role might well be the only one that you are ever
known for. I know that dear old Desmond Llewelyn felt that way.
He believed the public only ever thought of him as Q, and that
they knew nothing about his amazing body of work before he joined
the 007 team."
"And what about the two actresses who played Moneypenny
before I got the role? If you're not very careful, playing a part
as high-profile as that over a long time can put the kibosh on
your career. Which is why I've been very careful to do a lot of
other work on stage, in films and on TV. I don't want to be typecast
as Moneypenny for the rest of my life, much as I adore the lady."
"I've just been very lucky to play her in four box-office
successes, and that's it. It's been 10 years and maybe enough
is enough?'
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