Washington DC [US], August 19 : Actor Helen Mirren said that she doesn't think women can portray James Bond, as the search for the next 007 agent is underway, reported Deadline.
With a career spanning over six decades of screen and stage, her accolades include an Academy Award, Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, BAFTA Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award.
During the promotion of Thursday Murder Club, in which she co-stars alongside former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, Mirren said a woman as James Bond wouldn't work.
"I'm such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy," said Mirren, adding, "You can't have a woman. It just doesn't work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else," reported Deadline.
Mirren's 'Thursday Murder Club' co-star, Brosnan, also spoke about the 007 film, saying, "I wish them well. I'm so excited to see the next man come on the stage and to see a whole new exuberance and life for this character."
"I adore the world of James Bond. It's been very good to me. It's the gift that keeps giving," Brosnan continued. "And I'm just a member of the audience now, sitting back, saying, 'Show us what you're going to do.'"
Mirren had previously weighed in on the concept of James Bond, saying in an interview that the character "is drenched and born out of profound sexism," as per the outlet.
"Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service; they always have been. And very brave," she added. "If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they're amazingly, unbelievably courageous. So I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who've worked in that world," reported Deadline.