No Time to Die member Ralph Fiennes had portrayed the role of MI-6 head M. The film served as Daniel Craig’s swan song after playing James Bond for two decades. The franchise wanted to make sure Craig would never return by killing him off in an explosion. Months after Bond 25 was released, Fiennes offered his honest thoughts about Craig’s Bond being killed off.
Ralph Fiennes opens up on the matter
The Schindler’s List actor finally spoke about 007’s No Time to Die death in a profile with The New York Times. The Oscar-nominated actor was looking back on his prolific career across stage and screen. The conversation turned to his tenure as M in the beloved spy franchise. Some actors might look at losing their franchise star as an upsetting moment in their career. Fiennes was quite the opposite as he mentioned being for the risky decision.
“I thought it was a bold and strong decision. You know, they might reboot everything, and they might want a woman back as M. Every single film after I took over from Judi Dench, she upstaged me. They always had her voice, a recording, or a portrait. I’m like, ‘Look, can I be M, Judi?’”
The Voldemort actor did have some major shoes to fill considering Dench played Bond’s boss over seven films, going back to Goldeneye. A generation or two had grown up with the MI6 leader being a stern motherly figure to the international spy. Hearing her voice and seeing images didn’t help the film and stage actor feel comfortable taking over the pivotal role. Luckily, he found his footing upon assuming the role of M in Spectre.
The Harry Potter star noted that the long-running franchise is needing a refresh after following the same cast for five movies. After Craig’s departure from the Bond franchise, the search for a new 007 has begun with new parameters for the potential candidate.
