Meghan Markle was ‘set to be Daniel Craig’s next Bond Girl’ before chance was ‘blown’
Meghan Markle was reportedly set to be a hot favourite for Daniel Craig's next Bond Girl before her romance with Prince Harry kicked up a notch.
While Meghan Markle eventually went on to marry into the Royal Family, she was reportedly once tipped to star in James Bond alongside Daniel Craig. However, the Duchess of Sussex apparently missed out on the Bond Girl role after her engagement to Prince Harry served as the “final blow”.
According to the Sun, the 42-year-old actress caught the eye of James Bond producers after starring as Rachel Zane in popular American legal drama, Suits. She reportedly seemed to be a perfect fit for the glamorous Bond girl role, as she was praised for a stunning looks throughout the show’s run.
However, it seems Meghan’s relationship with Harry, 39, ruled her out of contention, as producers believed she would be unattainable. Also reportedly joining her in the running for 007’s love interest was Baywatch star Ilfenesh Hadera, 38.
In the end, the 2021 movie No Time to Die saw Léa Seydoux reprise her role as the spy’s romantic flame, while Ana de Armas also had a short but memorable cameo. Naomie Harris appeared as Eve Moneypenny, while Lashana Lynch played the “other 007” Nomi.
Speaking about Meghan’s potential future in the Bond franchise back in 2017, a film source said: “Meghan fits the role of a Bond girl perfectly. She’s glamorous and sexy and a good actress.
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“The role more recently has gone to actresses deemed to be rising stars, and Meghan certainly was seen as that before her relationship with Harry became public.
“The brief was to find a glamorous rising star, specifically someone American or Canadian.
“Producers had narrowed down her and four other actresses on a shortlist last year with Bond 25 in mind.
“But the minute her relationship to Harry came to light they assumed she was out of the running so it soon became a list of four.
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“Her engagement effectively spelt an end to her acting career too so that was the final blow.”
In 2017, bookies offered odds on Meghan to be a Bond girl after a flurry of bets and at once she was even as short as 16/1, with Aussie actress Margot Robbie the favourite at 9/2.
Meanwhile, following Daniel’s departure from the iconic titular role, the latest odds from Ladbrokes suggest Aaron Taylor-Johnson (15/8) and Henry Cavill (7/2) are the current frontrunners.