Jack Lowden tipped for James Bond: Meet the Scottish actor who could follow Sean Connery as 007
Scottish actor Jack Lowden has emerged as a serious contender to become the next James Bond – potentially making him the first Scot to take on the role since Sean Connery.
The 36-year-old Slow Horses star has been linked with the 007 role before, but fresh speculation has followed comments from television presenter and author Richard Osman.
Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Osman said he had been told Lowden was being “strongly considered” for the part as the search for Daniel Craig’s successor continues.
Osman stopped short of suggesting the casting was settled, but said information he had received pointed towards Lowden being firmly in contention.
Bond producers are expected to choose their new leading man before the end of the year, with producer Amy Pascal saying the team is working methodically towards a decision.
Lowden is understood to be among a group of names associated with the role which has also included Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Sean Connery famously first appeared as Ian Fleming’s secret agent in Dr No in 1962 and went on to define the character for a generation.
Lowden grew up in Oxton in the Scottish Borders and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, in Glasgow, graduating with a BA in Acting in 2011.
His breakthrough came in theatre. While still a student he appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland’s acclaimed Black Watch, before winning an Olivier Award for his performance in Ghosts.
A series of increasingly prominent screen roles followed, including War & Peace, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots and BBC drama The Gold.
It is his performance as River Cartwright in Slow Horses, however, which has made Lowden a familiar face to an international audience.
Lowden has received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance in the espionage drama series where he plays n MI5 agent.
He has also been cast as Mr Darcy in Netflix’s new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, further raising his profile.
Asked about Bond rumours in 2022, he described them as “lovely”, while playing down suggestions that they meant anything concrete.
The latest speculation comes as work gathers pace on the first Bond film of the post-Daniel Craig era.
Craig bowed out after five films with No Time to Die in 2021. Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next instalment, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the screenplay.
Scottish actor Jack Lowden has emerged as a serious contender to become the next James Bond – potentially making him the first Scot to take on the role since Sean Connery.
The 36-year-old Slow Horses star has been linked with the 007 role before, but fresh speculation has followed comments from television presenter and author Richard Osman.
Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Osman said he had been told Lowden was being “strongly considered” for the part as the search for Daniel Craig’s successor continues.
Osman stopped short of suggesting the casting was settled, but said information he had received pointed towards Lowden being firmly in contention.
Bond producers are expected to choose their new leading man before the end of the year, with producer Amy Pascal saying the team is working methodically towards a decision.
Lowden is understood to be among a group of names associated with the role which has also included Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Sean Connery famously first appeared as Ian Fleming’s secret agent in Dr No in 1962 and went on to define the character for a generation.
Lowden grew up in Oxton in the Scottish Borders and trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, in Glasgow, graduating with a BA in Acting in 2011.
His breakthrough came in theatre. While still a student he appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland’s acclaimed Black Watch, before winning an Olivier Award for his performance in Ghosts.
A series of increasingly prominent screen roles followed, including War & Peace, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots and BBC drama The Gold.
It is his performance as River Cartwright in Slow Horses, however, which has made Lowden a familiar face to an international audience.
Lowden has received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance in the espionage drama series where he plays n MI5 agent.
He has also been cast as Mr Darcy in Netflix’s new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, further raising his profile.
Asked about Bond rumours in 2022, he described them as “lovely”, while playing down suggestions that they meant anything concrete.
The latest speculation comes as work gathers pace on the first Bond film of the post-Daniel Craig era.
Craig bowed out after five films with No Time to Die in 2021. Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next instalment, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the screenplay.