Former James Bond Gives Aaron Taylor-Johnson His Blessing To Be Next 007
George Lazenby, a former James Bond actor, gave his seal of approval to Aaron Taylor-Johnson amid rumors that he could be the next actor to take on the role.
Lazenby, the second actor to portray the role of the iconic secret agent, starred as 007 in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in 1969. He reportedly told TMZ that the "Kick-Ass" star can handle the stunts and the ladies as the next 007, if ever.
However, the 84-year-old Australian actor added that he was pretty sure that Taylor-Johnson did not have the part yet. He recalled that, during his time, he had to go through a bunch of tests and auditions before he officially got the role.
Speaking with TMZ, Lazenby advised the 33-year-old British actor to "be true to himself and reinvent the role to fit him."
Other actors who previously took on the role of 007 were Sean Connery, David Niven, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
If Taylor-Johnson officially gets announced as the next James Bond, he will be the eighth actor to portray the role.
Last week, it was reported that the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" actor was formally offered to be on board the next 007 adventure.
"Bond is Aaron's job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table, and they are waiting to hear back," a source reportedly said at the time.
"As far as Eon [Productions] is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days, and they can start preparing for the big announcement."
Rumors about Taylor-Johnson becoming the next James Bond first circulated online in November 2022.
"Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September and producers and Barbara loved him," an insider was quoted by The Sun at the time.
"He is one of the front-runners."
Aside from the "Bullet Train" actor, Tom Hardy, James Norton and Idris Elba were also reportedly considered for the role.
Meanwhile, Taylor-Johnson directly addressed the rumors in his recent interview with Numero Magazine.
"I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment," he said.
