The male-dominated role of 007 is switching things up for the upcoming film No Time To Die. It was previously shared that Lashana Lynch would be stepping into the spy's shoes, and since that time, purist fans of James Bond are having a bit of trouble accepting that 007 would be a Black woman. It was an expected response, and now Lashana is speaking openly about the "abuse" she has endured since the announcement of her forthcoming role was made.
"I am one Black woman -- if it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse," Lynch told Harper's Bazaar U.K. "I just have to remind myself that the conversation is happening and that I’m a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary."
"A character that is too slick, a cast-iron figure? That’s completely against what I stand for," she added of her 007 character Nomi. "I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent. I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real life represented. In every project I am part of, no matter the budget or genre, the Black experience that I’m presenting needs to be 100 percent authentic."
No Time To Die is expected to hit theaters in April 2021. Check out a few stills from Lashana Lynch's Harper's Bazaar U.K. feature below.