Succession star Brian Cox: Cillian Murphy would make an ‘interesting’ James Bond

Actor Brian Cox has said Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy would be an “interesting” choice to play James Bond.

In an interview with Radio Times, the Succession star discussed the upcoming second series of reality competition 007: Road To A Million, in which he returns as The Controller, the stern and sardonic taskmaster.

The Prime Video series follows eight contestants as they are dropped into the high-stakes world of James Bond, where they take on missions that push them to the limits, testing them physically and psychologically, for the chance to win £1 million.

Of the role of the 007 agent, Cox said: “It’s only natural that it goes through changes because we start off young and end up old.

“Is Cillian Murphy being recommended? I think that would be interesting.

“I like Cillian. He’s very real, he’s got no crap about him.”

Amazon MGM Studios previously announced that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will write the script for the next James Bond film, which will be directed by Dune’s Denis Villeneuve.

Irish actor Murphy played the lead role in Knight’s TV series of hard-drinking gang leader Tommy Shelby.

In the interview, Cox described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “definite villain” and criticised US President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Scottish actor, 79, said: “There’s certainly a lot of people around who I feel are villainous.

“With what’s happening in Ukraine, Putin is a definite villain, for my money.

“I think some of the American behaviour has definitely been unthinking.

“What’s tragic is that America was built on the notion of egalitarianism, and the present administration don’t want us to be equal.”

The full interview can be read in the latest edition of Radio Times magazine.