He’s the favorite to be the brand new James Bond later this 12 months, with stories suggesting that Aaron Taylor-Johnson might be handed a Licence to Kill.
The 32-year-old actor, who grew up in Excessive Wycombe, Bucks, is alleged to have dazzled Bond boss Barbara Broccoli in a display screen check simply earlier than Christmas.
Ever since Daniel Craig introduced that he hanging up his holster and was now not going to play Ian Fleming’s super-spy, hypothesis has been rife about who may take over.
Broccoli stipulated she had had three standards for the brand new Bond: he have to be a person, he should have the ability to take over for the subsequent 15 years, and he have to be British.
Taylor-Johnson is at present a 2-1 shot with Ladbrokes, carefully adopted by James Norton at 5/2 and Superman actor Henry Cavill at 3/1. Richard Madden, Tom Hardy and Rege-Jean Web page are all between 7/1 and eight/1.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the two/1 favorite to exchange Daniel Craig as the brand new James Bond and has exceptional similarities to earlier stars who performed the function
Taylor-Johnson, pictured along with his spouse, Sam, left, is alleged reported to have had a gathering with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli which ‘went nicely’
Broccoli is alleged to wish to forged a British actor who was proceed within the function for 15 years
Now the revered trade web site Puck is hinting the digital unknown might have overwhelmed all of them to the prize: ‘The Aaron Taylor-Johnson rumours are true,’ the positioning introduced. ‘He sat with producer Barbara Broccoli, and the assembly went nicely.’
However Taylor-Johnson – at odds of 2-1 – appears to be the pure alternative as, each personally and professionally, he has a lot in frequent with the six males who’ve performed Bond earlier than him.
He’s an motion hero, as was Timothy Dalton, a mannequin like George Lazenby, and an actor since childhood, identical to Daniel Craig. Even his private life is pure 007 – from the blended stepfamily to his penchant for a a lot older girl.
An older spouse – identical to Roger Moore
Aaron Taylor-Johnson famously fell for his spouse Sam when he was solely 19 and she or he was 42 – 23 years his senior – and directing him within the movie Nowhere Boy about John Lennon.
After they met, her marriage to artwork supplier Jay Jopling had simply ended. He mentioned of the audition: ‘I keep in mind it very, very clearly. I do know precisely what she was carrying. This white shirt that she nonetheless has, that I like. It positively modified my life, although not in the way in which I anticipated.’
He added: ‘After I met Sam I’d already lived a life far past that of most of my contemporaries – I didn’t relate to anybody my age. I simply really feel that we’re on the identical wavelength.’
Taylor-Johnson, identical to Roger Moore, is married to an older girl
The shared an ‘intense connection’ however stored their relationship skilled till the movie wrapped. Sam mentioned: ‘As quickly as we completed, he instructed me he was going to marry me. We had by no means been on a date, and even kissed.’
He added: ‘A 12 months to the minute after we met, precisely one 12 months to the minute, I received down on one knee and requested her to marry me. I knew immediately that I wished to spend the remainder of my life with this individual. I knew I wished a household together with her, I knew I wished children, and a month later she was pregnant with our first baby.’
The couple now have two daughters, Wylda, 13, and Romy, 11.
Roger Moore, who performed James Bond from 1973 to 1985 additionally preferred older ladies. Actually, by the point he was forged because the spy he had married – and divorced – two older ladies.
His first spouse was the actress and ice skater Doorn Van Steyn, whom he wed in 1946 aged 19. She was six years older than him. The wedding lasted for seven tempestuous years, throughout which period she bit his hand throughout a row, and as soon as soaked all his garments into the tub to cease him leaving her.
His second spouse was 13 years older than him, the singer Dorothy Squires. Squires, 37 after they met, additionally had a ‘nice mood.’ Moore remembers her hitting him over the pinnacle with a guitar throughout one argument. They tried unsuccessfully to start out a household, with Squires struggling a number of miscarriages. He finally he left her for Italian actress Luisa Mattioli, at which level Squires threw a brick by his window and reached by the glass to seize him, slicing her arms. Moore recalled: ‘The police got here they usually mentioned “Madam, you’re bleeding.” And he or she mentioned “It’s my coronary heart that’s bleeding.”’ She refused to divorce him for seven years and even sued Moore for the restitution of her conjugal rights. He refused to return to her.
Stage college – identical to Daniel Craig
Each Taylor-Johnson and the final Bond, Daniel Craig, began their performing careers as kids and have stage college coaching. Craig, whose father was a pub landlord, made his thespian debut aged six within the Frodsham main college manufacturing of Oliver!
Aged 14 he joined the Nationwide Youth Theatre and moved to London the place he took half in touring productions and aged 18 studied at Guildhall. He had some TV roles in his early 20s, and acted in a stage manufacturing of Les Grands Horizontales in 1994, alongside Rachel Weisz, whom he married in 2011.
Aaron Johnson, as he was then, attended the Jackie Palmer Stage College in Excessive Wycombe between 1996 and 2008, learning drama, jazz, singing, faucet dance and acrobatics. Different alumnae from this era embody James Corden and Eddie Redmayne.
Each Taylor-Johnson and Daniel Craig, pictured, are merchandise of stage college having begun their carreers
Like Daniel Craig, Johnson first appeared on stage aged six, though his first correct function was in a London manufacturing of Macbeth, as Macduff’s son. Like Craig, he took a job in The Invoice when he was beginning out. He additionally performed a teenaged model of Edward Norton’s character in The Illusionist when he was 16.
The buff veteran of superhero movies – identical to Timothy Dalton
Not all Bonds have been adept at doing stunts, however an action-hero background is a definite benefit, particularly within the trendy period the place espionage comes with a facet order of blockbuster spectacle.
Timothy Dalton was one of the vital muscular Bonds, and though he got here from a largely theatrical background he had – like Taylor-Johnson – starred in a big-budget motion movie earlier than donning Bond’s tuxedo.
Dalton, who was Bond in The Residing Daylights in 1987 and Licence to Kill in 1989, minimize his enamel on the motion within the 1980 movie Flash Gordon, wherein he performed Prince Barin.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, like Timothy Dalton, pictured, has earlier expertise of motion movies
Taylor-Johnson made his breakthrough within the 2010 movie Kick-Ass wherein he performed Dave Liziewski. He was additionally within the 2013 sequel. He’s received a foothold within the Marvel Cinematic Universe having performed Quicksilver, Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015. Final 12 months he performed an murderer within the action-heavy Brad Pitt movie, Bullet Practice.
He has additionally filmed within the title function as Kraven The Hunter – a Marvel movie which is due out in October this 12 months – including plenty of muscle to depict the character’s transformation with out using particular results. He has reportedly agreed to play the sport hunter in additional movies if it’s a success.
He’s glad in Hollywood – identical to Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan is the Hollywood Bond: he moved to Tinseltown in 1982 on the prompting of his spouse Cassandra, who had simply appeared within the Bond movie For Your Eyes Solely, and settled within the US as he filmed the sequence Remington Steele.
Born in Eire, he moved to London as a younger teen and skilled on the Drama Centre. For many of his life, nonetheless, he has been based mostly in Malibu in a $100 million seaside dwelling. He has a second dwelling in Hawaii the place he spent a lot of the previous three years.
Taylor-Johnson, identical to Pierce Brosnan, pictured right here in Tomorrow By no means Dies, loves residing in Hollywood
Taylor-Johnson purchased an eight bedroomed home in Hollywood in 2010 and the household was based mostly mainly in LA till the pandemic. They now dwell principally in a home in Somerset, the place they renewed their wedding ceremony vows final 12 months.
A trend mannequin – identical to George Lazenby
Naturally, Bond must look good and each man who has performed 007 has appeared in commercials.
Nevertheless solely George Lazenby, Bond within the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, was a full-time mannequin earlier than touchdown the function. Australian Lazenby had labored as a used automotive salesman in Finchley earlier than hitting the massive time as a really profitable male mannequin. He secured an audition after bumping into producer Cubby Broccoli in a barbershop. Even earlier than the movie was launched Lazenby mentioned that he didn’t wish to be Bond any extra, and co-star Diana Rigg described him as ‘bloody not possible.’
George Lazenby, pictured in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, was a full time mannequin earlier than donning the Bond tuxedo
Aaron Taylor-Johnson appeared in adverts for Persil and Rowntrees earlier than he was well-known, and was the face of Givenchy eau de toilette in 2017.
A blended stepfamily – identical to Sean Connery
Sean Connery married French-Moroccan artist Michelle Roquebrune in 1975 after assembly her at a golf match in 1970.
He already had son Sean, from his marriage to actress Diane Cilento, and she or he had three kids by two earlier marriages, who he adopted after their wedding ceremony and to whom he was very shut.
Sam Taylor-Johnson has Angelica and Jessie by her marriage to Jay Jopling and has since had two daughters with Aaron.
Sean Connery, identical to Taylor-Johnson is a part of a blended household
Each Taylor-Johnsons attempt to prioritise household, with Aaron saying: ‘I do know after I’ve missed too many college runs. We’re fortunate that we have now the monetary luxurious to not need to be working on a regular basis.’
After their wedding ceremony, each modified their names to take the hyphenated Taylor-Johnson. He mentioned: ‘I simply don’t see why ladies have to take the person’s title. I wished to be part of her simply as a lot as she wished to be a part of me.’ Sam Taylor-Johnson mentioned: ‘The wonderful thing about Aaron is that he’s glad not working and being at dwelling with the youngsters whereas I work. We’re really preventing over it. He’s like, ‘No no, I like being an at-home dad, doing the cooking and the college runs.’