Rupert Friend is neither shaken nor stirred by his leaked 007 audition tape.
After a video of his 2005 screen test to portray James Bond popped up online earlier this year, the actor admitted he has no interest in watching the resurfaced clip.
“I don’t think you could pay me to watch something like that,” he exclusively told E! News’ Erin Lim Rhodes at the Jurassic World Rebirth premiere in New York City June 23. “I would rather drink bleach than watch an audition that I did ever, let alone in 2005.”
As for whether he would take on the iconic role now, the 43-year-old—who stars alongside Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali in the prehistoric sequel opening July 2—said simply, “It’s not my decision.”
Rupert previously revealed that he turned down the gig, which ultimately went to Daniel Craig, because he felt he was “too young” at the time to convincingly play the character.
“To be honest, I’m grateful that I did,” he said in an interview with Variety in May 2023. “Back then, not only could the part have eclipsed me, I felt like the part was bigger than me as an actor or even as a person. That it would swallow me up and I might sink the franchise, or at least be the worst Bond that ever lived. And that was just not an option, because I love the franchise.”
But Rupert went on to admit that the part had become more appealing to him with age.
“Let’s put it this way, maybe I’ve got the scars and the bruises now,” he continued. “From having literally been around the block or in the school of hard knocks, but also having navigated film sets and directors and difficult situations. You realize you’re at a point where you can take things on that perhaps you couldn’t before.”
To see more stars who walked the red carpet at the New York Premiere of Jurassic World Rebirth, keep scrolling.
(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Scarlett Johansson
Jonathan Bailey
Mahershala Ali
Rupert Friend
Brianna LaPaglia
Ed Skrein
Luna Blaise
David Iacono
Scarlett Johansson & Colin Jost
Bechir Sylvain
Audrina Miranda
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Philippine Velge
Erin Lim Rhodes
Frank Marshall, Manuel García-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Scarlett Johansson, Gareth Edwards, Rupert Friend, Bechir Sylvain, Philippine Velge, Ed Skrein & Patrick Crowley
Patrick Crowley, Manuel García-Rulfo, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Gareth Edwards, Bechir Sylvain, Philippine Velge & Frank Marshall
Aimee Mullins & Rupert Friend
