As speculation builds over who will inherit one of cinema’s most famous roles, a former Bond girl has a clear opinion about what should not change. Alison Papworth, who appeared during Roger Moore’s era as 007, says she hopes the next James Bond remains male.
According to Fox News, her comments arrive as Amazon MGM Studios continues searching for Daniel Craig’s successor, with actors including Jack Lowden, Paul Mescal, Jacob Elordi, and Jack O’Connell among the names linked to the role. For Papworth, however, the bigger question is not exactly who gets the tuxedo, but whether filmmakers remain faithful to the character Ian Fleming created.
Alison Papworth Wants Another ‘Gorgeous Man’ as James Bond
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Papworth said she believes casting a woman as Bond would fundamentally change the character. She argued that if the next film stays true to Fleming’s books, 007 should remain a man, adding that she hopes audiences get “another gorgeous man” in the role.
The casting mystery has only intensified in recent weeks. Gary Oldman recently suggested that his Slow Horses costar Jack Lowden might have a real chance, although he later clarified that he had only heard rumors and did not know who had secured the part. Amazon MGM gained creative control of the franchise in 2025, while Denis Villeneuve will direct the next movie and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will write the screenplay. Craig last appeared as Bond in 2021’s No Time to Die.
Her Bond Years Left Friendships That Lasted a Lifetime
Papworth’s connection to 007 reaches back more than four decades. She appeared in For Your Eyes Only in 1981 and returned for Octopussy two years later, both starring Roger Moore. She remembers Moore as funny, charming, and gentlemanly, while her time on the films included everything from first-class travel and glamorous locations to freezing winter shoots at Pinewood Studios.
Those movies also gave her something more lasting than screen credits. She met two of her closest friends, Vanya Seager and Carole Ashby, through the productions and says those friendships remain part of her life today. After acting and modeling, Papworth eventually built a career in interior design and now works with Camhall Design & Consultancy in the U.K. She still attends fan signings and remains closely connected to the franchise that changed her life. Decades after sharing the screen with Moore, Alison Papworth clearly still feels protective of the Bond tradition—even as Hollywood prepares to introduce a brand-new 007.