Homeland star Damian Lewis is reportedly one of the names in contention to be the new James Bond, ….well, at least according to British bookie William Hill.
Oo-er!
On Monday, the leading betting chain put Lewis (who previously played Nicholas Brody on the hit Showtime drama) the odds-on favorite of being named the next Bond at 3-1, right behind Idris Elba (5-2), who has long been rumored to be the next in line.
As for Bond, when the latest outing Spectre hits theaters in November, star Daniel Craig will be tied with Pierce Brosnan with four ventures in Bondage.
Only Roger Moore and Sean Connery had longer tenures playing the character, at seven films each. And because Spectre may be Craig’s last time playing 007, the rumor is rife with names of actors mooted to replace him.
“This is an unprecedented gamble, as for no apparent reason we have seen bets of up to £200 [$312] on Damian Lewis being named as the next Bond,” a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lewis shot to fame as Lt. Dick Winters in the HBO WWII drama Band of Brothers and has been working non-stop ever since, most recently starring as King Henry VIII in the acclaimed British television production of Wolf Hall.
Other actors with fairly promising odds include Tom Hardy (4:1), Henry Cavill (5:1) and Michael Fassbender (7:1).
Personally, I don’t see Lewis as the next Bond, though Fassbender would certainly be an interesting choice – if he beefed up a bit!
