British actor Gary Oldman on Friday backed his “Slow Horses” co-star Jack Lowden to be the new James Bond, as rumors swirl that the next 007 has been cast.
Still, said Oldman, the 36-year-old Lowden would be a great choice to fill a role previously occupied by Daniel Craig, Roger Moore and Sean Connery, amongst others. The veteran performer had caused a stir over the weekend when he appeared to suggest that Lowden had it in the bag.
“I simply said: ‘Well, I believe that they’ve chosen the guy… and Jack is on the list,’ and I said: ‘Fingers crossed for Jack’, and then that was reported that I had some inside information,” Oldman said. “Jack is… young, he’s masculine, he’s incredibly funny, which I think is important,” the Oscar winner said. Lowden is Scottish, which might also work in his favor, said Oldman, adding it was “a nod to Sean Connery” that might chime with producers carrying the weight of a franchise rich in history. “And he’s a lovely guy to boot,” said the “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” star.
But on Friday, he told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival that he didn’t have the inside track on one of the most eagerly awaited casting decisions of the decade, but was definitely rooting for his colleague.
