United Artists
- British actress Lashana Lynch will be a 007 agent in the new James Bond movie, “No Time to Die.”
- The role detail was confirmed in a new Harper’s Bazaar interview on Lynch.
- Lynch’s role in the movie was leaked last year and led to online backlash.
- She told Harper’s Bazaar that when the backlash hit she “deleted her social-media apps, meditated and saw no one but family” for a week.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Lashana Lynch will play the first Black, female 007 in the upcoming James Bond movie “No Time to Die,” Harper’s Bazaar confirmed in a new profile of the actress.
While the confirmation is new, news of Lynch’s role leaked last year, leading to an online backlash from people who weren’t ready for a Black female secret agent.
“For a week, she deleted her social media apps, meditated and saw no one but family, while comforting herself with the knowledge that the aggressive comments were ultimately not personal,” Yrsa Daley-Ward wrote in her profile on Lynch.
“I am one Black woman — if it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse,” Lynch said in the story. “I just have to remind myself that the conversation is happening and that I’m a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary.”
United Artists
According to the Harper’s Bazaar story, Lynch’s Nomi character takes over the 007 spy code name when James Bond (Daniel Craig) disappears following the events of “Spectre.”
Lynch told Daley-Ward that she worked closely with "No Time to Die" co-screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge (creator of "Fleabag") to make Nomi have a "fresh female perspective" to the male-focused franchise. Lynch also said there's another goal in having a role like this in such an anticipated movie.
"I didn't want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent," she said. "I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real-life represented. In every project I am part of, no matter the budget or genre, the Black experience that I'm presenting needs to be 100 percent authentic."
"No Time To Die" will be in theaters April 2, 2021.
Read more:
13 spy movies on Netflix that will fill the void of 'No Time to Die' until it comes out