Nish Kumar wants to play James Bond “as a prank”

Nish Kumar has shared that he would like to play James Bond in an “elaborate prank”.

In a new interview with The Guardian, the comedian said that he thinks “it would be very cool” to be named as the iconic secret agent.

When asked if he would like to star in a Hollywood movie, like his colleague James Acaster in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the stand-up comic responded: “It would be very cool if I was named the next James Bond, because the collective meltdown it would inspire in a section of the British press would be so profoundly hilarious that I almost think Barbara Broccoli should do it as a prank.”

Kumar added: “They’ve made enough money from the franchise, why not make the next casting of James Bond an elaborate prank?”

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This follows recent rumoured developments in the casting of 007, after Daniel Craig stepped down from the role in 2021 with No Time To Die.

It was reported last month that Kick-Ass and Tenet star Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role by production studio EON Productions, who were awaiting his response. Taylor-Johnson has neither confirmed nor denied the rumour.

Nish Kumar James Acaster
James Acaster and Nish Kumar in London on July 3, 2023. CREDIT: Getty/Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images

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Kumar took the opportunity to throw a jokey remark at Acaster in his response, adding: “I think it’s a longer journey obviously to imagine me as a spy than it is to Acaster as a Ghostbuster because, let’s face it, the guy is a fucking nerd.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Kumar opened up about some of the best and worst advice he has received in his career.

He explained how he was “once given some pretty horrendous advice by a comedy agent,” sharing: “They told me I should do a broad, racist Indian accent in an audition. I would hope things have moved on for younger acts from ethnic minority backgrounds but it was truly awful advice.”

As for the best advice, he cited a lyric in the Outkast track, Rosa Parks: “You’re only as funky as your last cut.” Kumar interpreted it as “a cooler way of saying you’re only as good as your last gig.”

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He added: “But I prefer to hear it in André’s voice.”