Famous actress Denise Richards let it slip during a recent interview promoting her role in the new series, “Paper Empire,” that she didn’t approve of a female James Bond.
She was asked if there was room for a female Bond now that Daniel Craig has retired the role. Richards wasted no time at all in letting revealing her true feelings. “Definitely a male Bond, I’m sorry,” she said, according to Variety. “And I might get a lot of flack for this. But the fact of the matter is the Bond franchise was based off of a book franchise and Bond was male in the books and I believe [they should] continue with that,” Richards said.
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Denise Richards Recalls People ‘Making Fun of Me’ for Bond Girl Role: ‘It Broke My Heart’ https://t.co/vBe3ykAdL8
— People (@people) April 27, 2023
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Richards asserted her perspective with a follow-up comment.
“I do, and people may shit on me for it, but I believe it,” she said.
“They could do a spin-off where a Bond girl becomes the female Bond. But I think James Bond is James Bond,” she stated, according to Variety.
Richards is no stranger to James Bond-related criticism. The famous actress starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in the 1999 Bond film “The World is Not Enough,” and faced backlash from fans for her portrayal. Richards recalled getting “panned” for her performance as the scientist Dr. Christmas Jones.
She said she critics ripped her for wearing shorts and a midriff-baring vest, and felt that they weren’t understanding the scope of her character, according to Variety.
“It broke my heart that people were making fun of me,” she said.
Denise Richards on Playing a Trophy Wife in ‘Paper Empire,’ Being ‘Panned’ as a Bond Girl https://t.co/0ytKYxoDeB
— Variety (@Variety) April 27, 2023
She recalled the scrutiny and criticism over her attire.
“Oh, really? You’re wearing shorts and you’re a nuclear scientist?'” she said, as she recalled the comments being made toward her.
“I’m playing a Bond girl,” she said to Variety.(RELATED: Young Actors Don’t Have The ‘Mental Capacity’ To Play James Bond, Longtime Casting Director Says)
“If I wore a lab coat and pants and a suit, then [fans] would have been upset, like, ‘Okay, why isn’t she looking like a sexy Bond girl?’”
“Paper Empire” is a Robert Gillings-created series that also stars Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer and Danny Glover. It premiered at Cannes in the middle of April.