Helen Mirren has called out the James Bond franchise for its "profound sexism".
Speaking to The Standard ahead of the release of her new crime series MobLand, Mirren opened up about her co-star Pierce Brosnan.
The pair are currently gearing up to star in the new show from Guy Ritchie, which premieres on Paramount+ this Sunday (March 30).
In the new organised crime series, Mirren and Brosnan play a husband and wife duo named Conrad and Maeve Harrigan who head up a powerful London-based crime family.
Opening up about starring alongside Brosnan, who is best known for playing 007 in the '90s and early '00s, Mirren said she was never a fan of the British spy franchise.
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"I have to say I was never a great ward [of Bond]," Mirren said. "I’m a huge fan of Pierce Brosnan, I mean massive fan. I mean, oh my god. Obviously, he’s gorgeous and everything, and I think he’s fabulous in MobLand, but he also happens to be one of the nicest people you’ll ever have the pleasure to work with. And indeed Daniel Craig, who I’ve met and know a little bit. Again, a very lovely gracious person.
"The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing. It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond."
Speaking about real women from history who were involved in the Secret Service, Mirren said she is opposed to a female Bond and she would prefer it if the real stories were told.
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"The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism," she said. "Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been. And very brave.
"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."
MobLand will premiere on Paramount+ on March 30.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
