Dominic West Believes The World Is Ready For A Transgender James Bond, But Is Hollywood?

Ever since it was announced that Daniel Craig will be hanging up his swanky James Bond tuxedo after the upcoming installment in the franchise, a number of names have been thrown around as contenders for the role of the much-loved British spy.

And for a while, it seemed as though the most popular opinion was for the character to be played by a female actor for a change. Even with the odds of this becoming a reality are pretty slim as of now, Dominic West has proposed going in a completely different direction altogether. The Golden Globe nominee believes it is about time the world be introduced to a transgender James Bond.

During an interview with The Sunday Times, the 49-year-old actor was asked about who he believed would be a good fit for the role of agent 007. It turned out to be quite a loaded query as the 'Colette' star had a few names in mind, granted the first one was his own. "Me. I think we need an older Bond," said West, who is actually a year younger than the 50-year-old Craig.

However, he doesn't seem to be holding his breath in the matter, as when asked whether he would take the role if offered, he replied: "Of course I would, but I don’t think I will be."

Jokes aside, one actor the 'Tomb Raider' said he would have put his money on to nab the coveted role is Idris Elba. In fact, he revealed that he almost bet on Elba being cast as the next Bond.

Elaborating on the topic, Dominic said that a few years back, he sent his nephew to a bookie to place the bet. "Well, I did try, actually. I thought, this is easy money, Idris is definitely going to get it. I had no inside information, but I was convinced, so I thought I might as well cash in. I was going to put a lot of money on it," he said. However, he decided against taking the step at the last second as "the odds were pretty rubbish."

When asked if he thought a female Bond could be in the charts, the actor appeared skeptical saying: "I suppose so. Well… I think some of these things are gender specific. So I don’t see it myself." While he doesn't seem to have much faith in the prospects of a woman playing the role any time soon, he does think it would be cool to have a transgender 007.

In fact, he appeared to have given this idea quite some thought as he was quick to suggest someone who could be a perfect fit for the job. Hannah Graf, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the British Army. 

Speaking about it, West said: "Maybe a transgender Bond would be cool. Yes, there’s a very cool woman who’s the wife of an actor in ‘Colette’, who is a captain in the electrical engineers, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the army. She’s done two tours of Afghanistan. She’s a beautiful blonde girl who could be Bond, yes. That’s actually a brilliant idea."

The co-star mentioned here is Jake Graf, who is a transgender man himself. Jake and Hannah are icons in the transgender community and tied to knot in March this year, after being in a relationship for over two years. 

Explaining why he believes a transgender Bond is a great idea, Dominic said: "They should have a transgender Bond because there are a lot of transgender people in the army. They’d be ideal because they can do everything. That’s a great idea! A transgender Bond."

Truth be told, Dominic's proposition isn't such a bad idea considering how Hannah's military background could come in pretty handy when bringing the signature James Bond action sequences to life.

Jake is all for his wife stepping into Bond's shoes and cannot endorse the idea enough. Sharing a snap of the report carrying West's interview to Twitter, the proud husband wrote: "Starting the push for a transgender Bond, backed by Mr @DominicWest My amazing wife @hannahw253 first in line!" 

On the other hand, Hannah isn't so sure she'd be able to do justice to the role. Despite being flattered that the 'Centurion' star would think of her for the part, Hannah doesn't think she'll get into the acting profession in the near future.

However, she is completely on board with the idea of a transgender actor taking on the role. According to The Sun, Hannah responded to West's statement saying: "I’m very flattered that Dominic thought of me. I don’t think I’m going to become an actress anytime soon, but there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be a transgender Bond. We’ve seen too many men in hero-type roles and women playing second fiddle."

She also believes her husband would be more suited for the role than her. Reacting to the support she's been receiving on Twitter, Graf wrote: "Surely a role better suited to my actor husband @JakeGraf1."

She endorsed her husband again in another tweet that read: "If you really want a transgender Bond, then I can think of no one better than @JakeGraf1. Smooth, devilishly handsome and actually an actor!!" And when American actor, Ron Perlman backed the idea of Hannah taking a sip of a "shaken, not stirred" Martini, she tweeted: "Thanks for the endorsement @perlmutations but I think I’ll stick to the real Army though... However, @JakeGraf1 who is actually a transgender actor could be a good call..."

The idea of a transgender actor playing the fictional British Secret Service agent has torn fans of the franchise. While some seem excited at the prospect, others are unsure it will fit author Ian Fleming's vision of the character.

Reacting to a report about Dominic suggesting a transgender James Bond, one Twitter wrote: "Eh? Did Ian Fleming indicate at any point that JB was transgender? No. So if you want a transgender hero then great, write a book, or script, and go for it."

Given the leaps the LGBTQ+ community has come in recent years, we wouldn't be surprised if Dominic's suggestion is actually given fair consideration by the filmmakers.