Comedian Daisy May Cooper is reportedly in talks to join the 007 franchise to play spy boss, M.
Producers are said to be hoping the 36-year-old actress – who is a friend of “No Time to Die” co-writer Phoebe Waller Bridge – will bring a “comedic and quirky edge” to the role, previously played by acting heavyweights Dame Judi Dench, 88, and 60-year-old Ralph Fiennes, as part of a shake-up of the series after Daniel Craig’s departure as James Bond.
A source told ‘The Sun’: “Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation.
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“Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking M in a different direction.
“With Daniel leaving, it seemed the time to start looking at changes across the board and the dynamic between Bond and M is at the heart of the films.
“So this opens the door to it being a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards – and will of course impact the direction the new 007 goes in too.”
“The Sun” added film insiders said the decision to return to a female M is another sign the next Bond will remain male after speculation the spy’s gender could be changed for the next instalment.
Waller Bridge and May Cooper’s involvement in the next Bond could bring a shift in the 007 series back to its more comedic elements, displayed in Sean Connery and Roger Moore’s eras as the spy.
Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, M, has appeared since James Bond’s beginning in the Ian Fleming novels, and was based on the writer’s superior in the Naval Intelligence Division during World War II.
After gaining critical acclaim and a Bafta for her role in BBC mockumentary “This Country”, May Cooper made her black comedy “Am I Being Unreasonable?” for BBC1, which also received rave reviews.