If Jack Lowden ends up winning the role of James Bond, it will be a special choice because Lowden is also the new Mr. Darcy in Netflix’s Pride & Prejudice. The Darcy-to-James Bond pipeline could be a real thing! But what about a different pipeline… the Prince Charles-to-James Bond pipeline?? Josh O’Connor won an Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award for playing Prince Charles in The Crown. It was a role which brought him a huge amount of attention and really changed his career in a profound way. Josh was also added to the 007 shortlist rather suddenly a few weeks ago, and we know he recently did a screen test for producers. Well… is it happening? Or rather, has it already happened? According to the Sun, Josh’s friends believe that he’s already been cast as Bond.

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 next Brit to brandish the spy’s Walther PPK will be, one of Josh O’Connor’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 Richard Fleeshman, Jason Barnett, Daniel Mays 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 James Bond. 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.

[From The Sun]

Yeah, this sounds more like Josh’s friends gassing him up and telling everyone that he’s got in the bag. That being said, I think Josh’s late entry into the Bond stakes and his clear refusal to publicly “campaign” for the role makes him a serious contender. And the man is extremely talented. The thing I worry about with Josh is that he would hate the physical side of it. When he promoted Challengers several years back, he talked about how the film was the first time he really had to physically train for a role and how he loved how fit he was, but as soon as it was over, he was like “okay, I’m never stepping foot in a gym again.”

Incidentally, Josh spoke to the BBC this week about the Bond rumors and his screen test. He said: “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.”

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.