Which actor doesn’t want to feature in James Bond films? Be it a hero or villain, appearing in Bond films is itself a big thing that adds to the actor’s portfolio.
But there’s an actor who doesn’t want to play a specific character in the Bond film. It’s none other than Jason Statham. And it’s not like that he didn’t play a similar role previously in any film. For those who are unfamiliar with his villainous role, he did play one in the Fast & Furious franchise.
He has done some of the amazing action flicks in these two decades. But what’s the reason he doesn’t want to play villain in one of the biggest franchises of all time?
Jason Statham Didn’t Want to Be a Villain in James Bond
Jason Statham wasn’t so keen to play a Bond villain, even though he played one (Deckard Shaw) in Furious 7. When asked about being a Bond villain in an interview on The Guardian, the actor hesitantly said, “Er …I don’t know if I wanna to do that. That’s not my thing. I’d rather play the other guy.”
So, it’s clear being a villain in the Bond flick is not what he wants. He didn’t state the reason behind it. Anyway, he revealed that he would “abso-f***ing-lutely” love to play James Bond one day. The Hollywood star also remarked that Craig was a “great Bond” but if he were to play the role, he would take it very differently.
Jason Statham Wanted to Play James Bond
Statham expressed a desire to take on the iconic role of James Bond in the interview. He told The Guardian, ‘Could I do it? Abso-f***ing-lutely. Would I do it? Abso-f***ing-lutely. Is Daniel Craig a great Bond? Abso-f***ing-lutely.’
The Beekeeper actor can walk on the Bond path. He even believed he could make a decent Bond Biography. “Yeah, I’d make a decent Bond,” he said “But it’d be very, very different if I did it.” Only Statham knows what he meant by if he would be a different game if he made any Bond film.
At that time, Craig was scheduled to play the British superspy in the upcoming Spectre. Yet, Statham is not bothered if he hadn’t been featured in the Bond franchise because he’s still doing great without it. He has been featured in other well-known franchises like Fast & Furious, The Expendables, Crank, The Transporter, and many others.