Simone Ashley wants to play a Bond Girl
Simone Ashley would jump at the chance to play a Bond Girl.
Simone Ashley would jump at the chance to play a Bond Girl.
The 31-year-old actress is eyeing more film roles, and she would happily play iconic British spy James Bond's love interest, ally or adversary if 007 bosses came calling.
Asked if she would consider the opportunity, Ashley told the October issue of ELLE UK: "I would, yeah. If it happens, it happens! I’m not going to talk about it.
"I definitely want to do more movies and find a really delicious TV show to get into. I’d love to do an action movie. Something fantasy, maybe."
The entertainer, who is receiving The Performer award at the ELLE Style Awards 2026, has thrown her name into the ring as Amazon MGM Studios hunts for the next Bond, after Daniel Craig, 58, quit the role following the release of 2021's No Time To Die.
Amazon MGM Studios took creative control of the James Bond film franchise from its long-time producers Barbara Broccoli, 66, and Michael G. Wilson, 84, last year.
Dune's Denis Villeneuve, 58, is directing, and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, 67, is writing the script for the movie, which is rumoured to centre on the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI).
Recent speculation suggested the untitled 26th Bond film is about to go into production at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, South East England, but a new lead actor has yet to be announced.
Amazon MGM Studios recently confirmed that the audition process has kicked off, saying said in a statement: "The search for the next James Bond is underway.
"While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Variety reported Amazon MGM Studios bosses have brought in 59-year-old star casting agent Nina Gold - who has worked on the Star Wars film franchise as well as Les Miserables and The Martian - to help find the next 007.
Callum Turner and Jack Lowden, both 36, and Jack Barton, 31, are some of the names hotly tipped to portray the next Bond.
And Lowden's 32-year-old wife, Saoirse Ronan, is "dead serious" about wanting to be a Bond villain.
She told Empire: "I want to go dark.
"I said that I wanted to be a Bond villain and I’m dead serious.
"I think it would be really interesting, having a young female villain.
"Especially for girls and women, to see someone who can just take all that pent-up anger and direct it somewhere, there’s something interesting in that dramatically.
"So I would love to do more of that."
Ronan even has an idea for her character.
Speaking on a 2024 episode of 50-year-old Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast about her potential character, she said: "Her and Bond don't get together or anything, she's a villain. Like Javier Bardem vibes.
"I'm conscious of being blonde, because I feel like a lot of villains in movies, they’re always like, make them super blonde and evil looking."
Speaking before Amazon MGM Studios took over creative control of the Bond franchise, Ronan added: "I’d want to break [the trend], but honestly it’s whatever [then-Bond producer] Barbara [Broccoli] wants!"
The October issue of ELLE UK is on sale from September 3.
