Lashana Lynch has let it be known that she is up for returning to her barrier-breaking role as 007 agent Nomi in a future James Bond film, after an award-winning night at the Baftas.
After the success of No Time To Die, which marked Daniel Craig’s last outing as the iconic British spy, the search for the next actor to fill the part is on.
As she won the EE rising star Bafta award, at the Royal Albert Hall, Lashana said that she ‘looked forward’ to reprising the role, which she likened to ‘a friend’ – although she clarified that no talks have yet begun.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk and other press at the winners’ press conference on a potential second film as the character, the actress laughed: ‘Can you imagine if I was like, “Umm…”?’
Confirming her interest, she continued: ‘I would, I don’t know if it’s happening by the way. So don’t take any of this as word!
‘I’ve had a really good time working with Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G Wilson] and the whole team. It’s such a collaborative family that they are and I think that she’s a character that you just can’t get enough of. You love her, she just feels like a friend.
‘So I look forward to meeting my friend again – if it happens!’
Touching on the incredible response she received from fans, Lashana explained: ‘I’m so glad that Nomi even exists for them to even ask questions! That’s a really big deal, even though the work that’s being done now, I hoped that my parents’ generation would have been able to experience that.
‘But for me to experience it in my generation and celebrate it is an honour and a privilege and I look forward to being able to do many more movies in the future.’
On the fan reaction to the first female 007, she added: ‘I expected the world to react exactly how they reacted.
‘I expected there to be more of a split actually, I encouraged the dislike, the non-support because it reminded me of the work that I need to do and the industry needs to do and the world needs to do in order for those people who don’t support ideas like Nomi to become real.
‘And I’m grateful for everyone who sent a bad message because it encouraged me to send better messages to the people who support Nomis.’
Earlier in the evening, Lashana took home the rising star award – the only Bafta prize voted for by the public.
She was up against West Side Story actress Ariana DeBose, A Quiet Place’s Millicent Simmonds, The King’s Man actor Harris Dickinson and Kodi Smit-McPhee for the accolade.
Collecting the trophy from last year’s winner Bukky Bakray, Lashana said: ‘Queen tings, which it is.
‘I’m grateful for a working-class foundation that has taught me everything I need to know about failure, about noes and what noes mean and how to celebrate your yeses.
‘I would like to thank the women of this country who taught me what it is to be in this industry as a dark-skinned woman. I thank you for laying the foundation for people like me.’
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