Bill Skarsgård Says the James Bond Phone Never Rang for Him

The hunt for the next 007 has turned into one of Hollywood’s longest-running guessing games. Amazon MGM Studios began auditioning actors with the help of British casting director Nina Gold, and her résumé includes ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Crown’. Since then, nearly every young leading man with a decent tailor has been tossed into the speculation pile.

The names jockeying for position have included Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner and Harris Dickinson. There have also been left-field entries, like British stage actor Tom Francis, who reportedly auditioned for the part. Meanwhile, Variety has reported that the race has narrowed to three actors facing final screen tests.

Against that backdrop, one actor is publicly saying he was never even in the conversation. Variety’s latest headline has Bill Skarsgård insisting he “wasn’t even thrown into the mix” to play Bond, despite British and Australian actors reportedly auditioning for the part. He made the quip while appearing on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast.

The ‘It’ star seemed more amused than bitter, though a little bruised pride crept in. Skarsgård also joked that nobody called him about the role, adding a playful “Come on, man.” Speaking to host Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused, the actor delivered the line with the kind of deadpan that has become his off-screen trademark.

He also floated a consolation prize. Skarsgård suggested he could land a Bond villain role someday, joking that he loves to stroke cats, then immediately admitted how that sounded. It is an easy joke to sell, considering Esquire’s cover star is reportedly a massive fan of the illustrious MI6 agent, and one outlet has already launched a campaign to cast him as a Bond antagonist.

Still, villains may not be what he wants right now. He said he feels worn out on playing them, which is understandable for an actor best known as Pennywise and the vampire in ‘Nosferatu’. He also said he doesn’t want to become jaded and could go long stretches without working until something compelling comes along.

That selectivity has pointed him in some interesting directions lately. Hideo Kojima revealed that Skarsgård landed the lead in the Xbox project ‘PHYSINT’, and he confirmed on the same podcast that he is returning for ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Season 2. Bond or no Bond, his calendar is hardly empty.

There is a funny layer of irony in all this. Francis, the actor reported to have auditioned for 007, is set to appear in ‘The Mosquito Bowl’ alongside Skarsgård. In other words, the two share a set, but only one of them has apparently been through the Bond process.

Skarsgård’s family has not been shy about the franchise either. His brother Alexander pitched the idea of a Swedish Bond in an interview with The Times of London. If Amazon ever wants to take that idea seriously, the family would apparently be ready.

For now, the studio is staying quiet. Amazon has said it doesn’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, but it is excited to share news with 007 fans when the time is right. Until then, Skarsgård will keep doing what he does best: scaring audiences, joking about it, and waiting for a script worth his time.