2021 finally saw Jessica Chastain win an oscar for her guiding light of a performance in the somewhat uneven biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye. It was her third nod, having been nominated in the past for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for The Help and her leading role in Zero Dark Thirty the following year. So, any project the Academy Award-winning actress could want is a real possibility. In a new interview, the actress revealed her love for Jamies Bond movies and that she has the perfect role in mind if she were to be approached to be a part of a future 007 project, and it's not the role of a Bond girl.
The Molly's Game actress appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote her upcoming project, George & Tammy, a limited biographical series focusing on the lives and romance between country musicians George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The late-night host asked Jessica Chastain if there was truth in that she had expressed interest in playing a Bond villain in an upcoming 007 movie. The actress said in the past, she would often be asked in interviews if she was interested in being a Bond girl, a pinnacle of success for women at the time the actress began in Hollywood. However, it does indeed seem that Chastain would be up for playing a baddie She said:
When I started in the industry about ten years ago, everyone kept asking me, 'Would you like to be a Bond Girl?' Because it –for a woman in the industry, it was like, ooh, the pinnacle of success to play a Bond Girl. And for me, I was like, 'No, I want to be the villain.' Like, I love this idea of, like, Bond being afraid of me. And, so, yeah, of course, anyone wants to call me with a Bond-villain role, I'm there.
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Though Jessica Chastain would have undoubtedly made a fantastic Bond girl, the idea of her playing the villain is far more exciting. Who can blame her for wanting to play the antagonist? The bad guys always get to have all the scene-chewing fun and, in some cases, they are often more memorable than the hero. The Daniel Craig era of 007 ended with No Time To Die last year so, hopefully, as the Wilson and Broccoli family search for their new Bond (as Henry Cavill remains at the top of many lists), they are taking notes on Chastain's interest in a villainous role.
The X-Men alum would love to play a villain, but there is one 007 part she has zero interest in. Jimmy Fallon reminded the actress that Bond producers are still searching for the next 007 and stated that the actress could be the first female in the part. Gender swapping the role is something Daniel Craig said could work as long as the person is suitable for the job. The Tonight Show audience erupted in applause when presented with the concept of the IT Chapter Two actress taking up the character, but she didn't have it. The actress continued:
No. No interest at all. I might be the only person who's ever said they have no interest in playing James Bond… I want to torture James Bond! Let me have my dream, Jimmy!
Let's let the woman fulfill her dream! Who knows, maybe she will land the role she desires one day and will go to the top of CinemaBlend's ranking of the most effective Bond villains. And if not, we'll still have plenty of great Jessica Chastain movies to enjoy.
As mentioned, Jessica Chastain will appear next in the upcoming Josh Brolin-produced biographic series, George & Tammy, in which she stars alongside Michael Shannon. If you want to watch the six-episode drama when its released on December 4th, all you need is a Paramount+ subscription.
