Make James Bond an ‘Alcoholic, a Drug Addict. He Hates Women’: Matthew Goode’s ‘Really Dark’ 007 Pitch Got Him Dropped From ‘Casino Royale’ Auditions

Matthew Goode recently appeared on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast and clarified rumors about him auditioning for James Bond. Before Daniel Craig was cast in 2006’s “Casino Royale,” a handful of actors such as Henry Cavill, Rupert Friend and Sam Worthington all went out for the part. But Goode, a relative newcomer at the time with credits like the Mandy Moore rom-com “Chasing Liberty” and Woody Allen’s “Match Point” under his belt, never got to actually audition because he bombed his meeting with 007 franchise producer Barbara Broccoli.

“I didn’t audition. I went in and met Barbara ,” Goode said. “It was quite a funny one because — and she’s gorgeous and just a lovely, lovely person — she was like, ‘So what’s your idea for Bond?’ And I was like, ‘My idea for Bond. We’ve gotta take it back to the books, you know? Really, we absolutely have to make this guy an alcoholic, a drug addict. He hates himself. He hates women. He hates a lot of people. He’s in deep pain. He’s brilliant at killing people.'”

Goode continued, “I think by the end of the interview, she was like, ‘Mhmm. Next.’ I wanted to make it really dark, but what I should have said was, ‘But also incredibly charming.'”

Cavill did make into the audition room but was considered too young to the play the role. Craig was ultimately chosen, kick-starting a new Bond era on the big screen that would reach an all-time franchise high with 2012’s “Skyfall” ($1.1 billion grossed worldwide). Craig exited 007 in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”

Broccoli and co-producer Michael G. Wilson are no longer running the Bond franchise after they sold creative rights to Amazon MGM Studios earlier this year. Amazon recently announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct the next 007 movie, although no actor is currently attached to play Bond.

In a new report from Variety, insiders said that Amazon is seeking a British actor under the age of 30 for to assume the 007 mantle. Per the report: “Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland and Harris Dickinson are at the top of the list. Elordi is Australian, but that would not be a deal-breaker as far as Amazon is concerned; remember Aussie George Lazenby starred in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.'”

Watch Goode’s full interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in the video below.