In an interview with Esquire, the Scottish actor who plays Jamie Fraser in the popular historical drama addressed the rumour that he may have been cast as the iconic 007.
“I actually have auditioned for James Bond back when they were rebooting Bond 21,” said Heughan, speaking about Casino Royale. While Daniel Craig ultimately won the role of the British spy, Heughan, who is 13 years younger than Craig, says there were talks of him playing a younger Bond.
“When Daniel Craig came on board, they were talking about making him younger,” he added.
“I don’t know what happened, but very recently, I became the bookies’ favourite to play Bond, which is kind of random and very strange.”
“I mean, we want a Scottish James bond, don’t we?”
This isn’t the first time Heughan’s spoken about his Bond audition. In 2018 during an interview on Live with Kelly and Ryan, the Outlander star said the audition was a “pretty good experience”, saying “It’s about time we had a Scottish Bond.”
It may be a while before fans will see Heughan vying for the 007 role again. Actress Lashana Lynch, who is starring with Craig in the upcoming James Bond: No Time To Die, is set to take over the 007 title from Bond in Craig’s final installment.
However, it is unsure whether Lynch will take over Craig’s role for future installments, or remain as a different character in the franchise so Heughan may still have a shot at the 007 title.
READ MORE: Our guide to the most iconic Outlander film locations.