Henry Cavill was ‘glad’ brutal Casino Royale feedback ended his James Bond journey | Films | Entertainment
Tonight, at 8pm, Casino Royale hits ITV screens. The film was the first time Daniel Craig played James Bond on the big screen, kicking off his 15-year adventure across five films – recently brought to an end by No Time To Die. But before Craig had been hired, Henry Cavill was in the running to become the next 007. However, in a tragic set of circumstances, his weight held him back.
Cavill auditioned the same way every James Bond candidate does: By acting out a scene from Sean Connery’s first 007 movie, Dr No. The scene in question involved him walking out in a towel with a gun in his hand, showing that he was both sexy and deadly.
However, once he got in front of the movie’s director, things went south – quickly. Cavill admitted: “I probably could have prepared better. I remember the director, Martin Campbell, saying: ‘Looking a little chubby there, Henry.’”
Cavill previously confessed that he was a “chubby kid” and had struggled with his weight while growing up.
He also admitted that, at the time, he “didn’t know how to train or diet”. But, ultimately, he was happy with how it went down.
Despite the fact Cavill didn’t get the James Bond role, his journey as 007 may not be over just yet.
Daniel Craig has since stepped down from the role, so there is a hole that needs filling. Recently, while on The Graham Norton Show, Cavill opened up about rumours that he might be in the running for the new 007. He said: “If [Bond bosses] Barbara [Broccoli] and Mike [G Wilson] were interested in that, I would absolutely jump at the opportunity. At this stage, it’s all up in the air. We’ll see what happens. But yes, I would love to play Bond, it would be very, very exciting.”
He added: “I would definitely have a conversation. From what I understand, there are very early conversations happening at the top, but there is no list as such.”
However, the Bond odds speak a different story.
At the time of writing, Cavill is at the top of of the Bond odds with 5/1 from Ladbrokes. He isn’t alone, however.
Cavill is neck-and-neck with Bridgerton hunk Regé-Jean Page, who also has 5/1. Despite his lead, however, Page has previously stated that he believes his inclusion in the Bond running is nothing more than “flattery”.
Meanwhile, fan-favourite Tom Hardy is also in the running with a staggering 7/1. The British star refuses to talk about the role, though, as he doesn’t want to miss out on it.
