Rory Kinnear stars in the new A24 horror movie Men, playing a variety of different weird and wonderful characters, but he is perhaps better known for his role as the mild-mannered MI6 employee Bill Tanner, in the James Bond franchise. We asked him about the action movie series recently, and he said he would be open to returning for future movies.
In a recent interview with The Digital Fix, to discuss his unbelievable transformation for Men, where Kinnear gives a career-defining performance, we also touched on the topic of the spy movie franchise James Bond. After the last Bond movie, the series appears to have come to a natural pause, with speculation that a new roster of talent will take over the mantle in the future.
However, it’s not unthinkable that some of the actors would reprise their roles for further instalments, as has happened in the past. We were curious if Kinnear would be open to playing Bill Tanner in the future, even if it meant working with a different 007
“Yeah, it’s great fun to be a part of and great fun to see the scale of operations,” Kinnear replied. “But also to see the way Barbara and Michael managed to create a sense of family around all the people who had done multiple of these films, both on camera and off,” he added.
“I can totally understand if they want to reset the whole thing for next time, but also totally understand if they wanted some sense of continuity,” Kinnear explained. “I’ve never known film to film if I would pop up again, so this doesn’t feel any different to the others really,” the actor concluded.
After seeing his efforts in Men, however, we pitched the idea of Kinnear playing a Bond villain, but he had other ideas. “Or, I believe there is a gap in the role of 007 himself,” Kinnear joked.
Either way, we do hope to see more of Kinnear in the James Bond franchise, whether that be as Tanner, a formidable foe to the Secret Service, or as the master of espionage.
You can catch Kinnear in Men, in theatres June 1.