The search for the new James Bond officially got started last week with the usual suspects – Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson – among the early favourites. But a new name has emerged who would certainly fit the speculation that we’re set for a “fresh face” as the new 007.
A surprise outsider on Friday who was linked to the role was Cosmo Jarvis, who you might recognise from the likes of Warfare, Shōgun and Peaky Blinders. However, a spokesperson for the actor has ruled him out, telling Variety that he’s “not in the mix” and is “not auditioning for it”.
Instead, the “fresh face” could well be 26-year-old British actor Tom Francis who, according to Variety, has auditioned to play James Bond. The report hasn’t been confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios or the actor’s representatives, but Francis is said to be “one of many performers” auditioning for 007 in a process that’s being overseen by Nina Gold.
While we wait to see if there’s any truth to the rumour, you’d be forgiven for wondering who Tom Francis is and where you might have seen him before, so that’s where Digital Spy comes in to help.
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Who is Tom Francis?
To date, Tom Francis has largely been known for his theatre work, most notably for the 2023 West End revival of Sunset Boulevard. Francis played Joe Gillis opposite Nicole Scherzinger, with the pair both winning Olivier awards for Best Actor in a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical, respectively.
Sunset Boulevard won seven Olivier awards from its 11 nominations, with Francis and Scherzinger reprising their roles for the Broadway transfer. The Broadway show saw Francis nominated for Best Actor in a Musical at the Tony Awards, but he was beaten on the night by Darren Criss.
There’s every chance you might have walked past Francis in London during the Sunset Boulevard run as the opening of the second act saw him perform ‘Sunset Boulevard’ live as he walked down the Strand, before heading back into the theatre.
His other theatre credits include playing Romeo in hit jukebox musical & Juliet, which marked his West End debut, and in a concert version of Hair at London’s Palladium in 2021.
Jeff Spicer
Tom Francis movies and TV shows
You’re less likely to have spotted Tom Francis on the screen, compared to his theatre work. His only two screen roles to date have been as Clayton in the final season of You and in Netflix comedy-drama Jay Kelly where he had a minor role as Judd.
Francis has recently finished filming Peter Berg’s Netflix drama The Mosquito Bowl, alongside the likes of Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård and Ray Nicholson. It’s based on the true story of a legendary American football game played shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The new James Bond movie has yet to confirm a release date.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.