Sorry, ladies, there's one jobHelen Mirrenthinks you needn't fill. The renowned British actressrevealed in a recent interview that she doesn't think a woman could playJames Bond. The fictional spy, who has been played over decades by a rotating cast of A-listers includingDaniel Craigand Pierce Brosnan, has yet to be embodied by a woman. Mirren, 80, thinks that's as it should be, telling Saga Magazine,in an interview published Aug. 18, that "James Bond has to be a guy." Mirren,who is herself playing a detective in the upcoming film "Thursday Murder Club" (in theaters Aug. 28), was interviewed alongside Brosnan, who also appears in the movie. Daniel Craig got a 007 sendoff likeno other. How Sean Connery, Roger Moore said goodbye to Bond "I'm such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy. You can't have a woman. It just doesn't work," she said. "James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else." Mirren did add that her latest character, a retired spy named Elizabeth, was a true representation of women who populated the world of espionage. "So many women have worked in that world. She's a manifestation of a reality, that's for sure," she told the outlet, adding that her portrayal is probably more true to life thanthe theatrics of 007. "More realistic. But not so much fun as Bond!" she quipped. This isnot Mirren's first timewading into the Bond world. Ina March interview with the Standard, the actress urged the writing of more movies about real-life women spies in place of a female 007. Helen Mirren curses atstreaming giant: 'I love Netflix, but (expletive) Netflix' "The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism," she told the outlet. "Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been. And very brave. If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they're amazingly, unbelievably courageous. So I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who've worked in that world." Mirren's comments come amid questions of who will playBond next after Craig retiredfrom the role in 2021's "No Time to Die." In the past, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has ruled out the possibility of a woman succeeding Craig in the role. But in February, Broccoli and her producing partner Michael G. Wilsonstepped back from the franchiseand handed creative control to Amazon, leaving it unclear what the casting criteria will be under the new leadership. Contributing: Brendan Morrow This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Helen Mirren: James Bond 'has to be a guy'
