THE identity of cinema’s next 007 is the talk of Hollywood after James Bond bosses staged their final selection process.
As excitement reaches fever pitch about who the will be, one of ’s theatre co-stars is convinced the Southampton-born actor has got the role.
Until last Saturday, he was appearing in the play Golden Boy at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, North London — his first time treading the boards in 11 years.
Starring alongside , Jason Barnett, and Hayley Squires, his portrayal of a gifted violinist who becomes a professional boxer won rave reviews.
But a loose-lipped member of the cast claimed, during a quiet night out at a pub in London’s Soho late on Wednesday night, that Josh confessed to getting the Bond role.
A source said: “I bumped into one of Josh’s Golden Boy cast mates at The French House.
“They were recognised by a lot of people who asked for selfies and we got chatting in a corner completely by accident.
“Out of nowhere, and oiled by a few glasses of lager, they blurted out that Josh was the next .
“I said it was pure speculation but they were insistent it was Josh.
“They said that he had confided in them about getting the role when the cast of Golden Boy had celebratory drinks after the play finished its run on Halloween.
“I was staggered that this person was being so open about it all. But they were clearly very proud of Josh and what getting the role of Bond would mean for his career.”
Josh is by far the most left-field choice among the front-runners for the job, which include Slow Horses star Jack Lowden and Masters Of The Air actor Callum Turner.
After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school, Josh first appeared on television in a 2012 episode of detective drama Lewis and made his big-screen debut in God’s Own Country in 2017 to critical acclaim.
Francis Lee, who won the Sundance Festival World Cinema Directing Award for the romantic drama, called his leading man “one of those rare actors that is a real shape-shifter”.
Two years later, Josh played in the third series of , which catapulted him into the mainstream and earned him an Emmy for Best Actor in 2021.
, who played in the hit, praised Josh, saying: “I genuinely loved watching him, marvelling at how he ‘becomes’ what he’s playing. Fragility, sparkle, strength, doubt — it’s all there in a second.
“Every scene we had together became my favourite scene.”
And the previous 007 is also a big fan of his work.
, whose last Bond adventure was 2021’s No Time To Die, pushed for Josh to be cast in his Knives Out film Wake Up Dead Man, which came out last year.
The whodunnit’s director Rian Johnson said of Josh: “He was an amazing discovery for me because I hadn’t been familiar with his work. Daniel brought him to my attention.
“Daniel knew him through Luca Guadagnino, who directed Challengers and Queer, and so I watched Challengers and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this guy jumps off the screen.’
“And then I watched La Chimera and saw him do something equally as powerful, but in a totally different mode.
“I thought, OK, this is a really special actor, and then I met with him and was like, ‘Oh, I wanna be on a set with this person.’
“He’s lovely, but also a great human being.
“We got him at the right time as I don’t know if we’d get him if we went to him right now — he’s in the stratosphere.” Should Josh get the Bond role, when filming begins next year, he will be 37 — the same age as Daniel Craig when he started shooting his debut as the British spy in Casino Royale in 2006.
Josh’s name has been linked to Bond for more than a year, with odds of him landing the part standing at 12/1.
Breaking his silence about being in the running for the role, he said earlier this week: “To be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary.
“It’s an incredibly bizarre pinch- me moment, even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that.
“But I am afraid there is nothing to say beyond that.”
His fellow front-runners have been equally coy when quizzed about their links to the role. Slow Horses star Jack spoke out after his co-star named him as the next Bond.
Gary said: “It’s been rumored that he’s on the shortlist.
“We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him.
“They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”
Jack later responded: “It’s all very flattering.
“It’s nice to be mentioned for any role and I’m just not really going to add to the noise.”
“It’s very nice, and Gary’s a sweetheart — it’s particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don’t really listen to it.” Meanwhile in May, has .
The Irish actor, who appeared in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, said: “Callum is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong.
“I’m just an audience member now. I’m just the man in the street who is eager to see who is going to play this epic role.
“All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire.
“They all have a voice and a physique and a presence on film.
“They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men.
“Whoever plays the role, I wish him the very best of life and strength and courage.
“You know, it’s hard to tell who it will be, but I eagerly await the news and the celebration of the next James Bond.”
The final screen tests for the role are understood to have taken place on the weekend of October 24, with the actors called to Bray Studios in Berkshire under the watchful eye of Denis Villeneuve.
Denis, the man behind the Dune blockbusters, was announced as director last summer and promised fans of the franchise he would keep up standards.
He said: “I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery.
“I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.”
Amazon MGM Studios has remained tight-lipped over any official announcement and has yet to give any formal indication of when its decision will be made.
But Amy Pascal, who is a producer on the new film, reckons Bond fans will find out before 2027.
She said: “I would say the end of the year is a good bet.
“We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio — I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.
“And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.”
