Former Bond Girl Gemma Arterton Says Female 007 Would Be ‘Too Outrageous’: ‘Sometimes You Just Have to Respect the Tradition’

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran “Quantum of Solace” star Gemma Arterton has weighed in on the prospect of a female James Bond, suggesting that such a change might not align with the franchise’s tradition. “Isn’t a female James Bond like Mary Poppins being played by a man?” the actor told The Times. “They talk about it, but I think people would find it too outrageous.

Sometimes you just have to respect the tradition.” Arterton, who played Strawberry Fields in the 2008 Bond film alongside Daniel Craig, also expressed puzzlement at how the role has followed her career: “I don’t regret doing a Bond film, but I am perplexed why it has followed me around.

I was only in the film for five minutes.” The 38-year-old actor, who recently starred opposite Ian McKellen in “The Critic,” spoke candidly about the evolution of on-set practices, particularly regarding intimate scenes.

She recalled an instance where “a sex scene was just thrown upon me. Like, ‘This is what’s going to happen,’ and I did it.” She noted that such situations wouldn’t occur today, thanks to intimacy coordinators.