Why Jeremy Allen White Doesn't Want To Play James Bond

While Jeremy Allen White is constantly working under the gun as Chicago chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto in the foodie fan favorite, "The Bear," the Hulu series star apparently doesn't want or need any more pressure in his career — especially when it comes to taking up the mantle of famed British super spy James Bond.

In a recent British GQ "Men of the Year" interview where he answered questions from fans, White first responded to an August 2022 Twitter, now known as X, post, where user @SiHawkes asked if the "Shameless" cast veteran and "The Bear" Emmy-nominated actor could do a British accent. The user completed the comment by writing, "How about him for 007?"

Allen responded humbly to the fan's suggestion, saying, "I wouldn't do that to the world. I'm a really massive 007 fan and I don't want that for me. In fact, an American shouldn't play 007 in general, even if it is me, in my opinion, but that's very flattering."

The Bond franchise has a storied history, with only seven actors playing author Ian Fleming's iconic literary-turned-big-screen character, starting with Sean Connery in "Dr. No" in 1962. After that, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig each stepped into 007's shoes. And let's not forget David Niven's comedic take on the character.

Craig, who retired from the role after the 2021 blockbuster "No Time to Die," certainly made an impression on Jeremy Allen White, but in commenting on the franchise, he tipped his hand in favor of the original Bond actor. "Sean Connery was definitely my James Bond, although I mean, I thought Daniel Craig was so great, and I love all the recent films," White told British GQ.

The reason White's fan on X made the Bond inquiry is likely because longtime 007 film producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have been taking their time in announcing Craig's successor. Names have certainly surfaced as potential candidates to play the legendary role. Months before "No Time to Die" was even released, "Bridgerton" star Regé-Jean Page weighed in on his Bond casting rumors, saying in January 2021 that he simply was on fans' radars because he's British. Then, in January 2022, another rumored 007 actor, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, reportedly had a James Bond meeting that "went well."

A couple of months after Taylor's reported meeting, perhaps the most-rumored 007 replacement, Idris Elba, seemingly put his Bond casting speculation to rest by saying the speculation of him taking over the coveted role wasn't true.

Whoever ends up getting cast as 007, White hopes it happens much sooner than later. "I feel like it's been a really long time," the actor told GQ. "Like, guys, pick a Bond. We wanna know."