Could Penélope Cruz become the first ever Spanish Bond girl?
“We can neither confirm nor deny the story,” says publicist
A leak from the producers of the James Bond franchise has revealed that Penélope Cruz is one of the names on the table to star in the next installment of the spy saga. The actress would be the first ever Spanish Bond girl, as well as the first 40-year-old to be cast in such a prominent role. Asked about the rumor, which was leaked to a journalist from the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper, a spokesman for Cruz said: “We can neither confirm nor deny the story.”
Cruz, 39, is currently pregnant with her second child and is expected to give birth in the coming days at the Ruber Internacional clinic in Madrid. She and husband Javier Bardem, who starred as the villain in the last Bond film, Skyfall, recently moved back to the Spanish capital after three years in Los Angeles. The pair have made no secret of the fact that they did not want to bring up their two-year-old son Leo in Hollywood. “Although I have great memories of the city, I don’t want to live there,” the actress has said on more than one occasion.
According to the Daily Mail, the next Bond outing would once again feature Daniel Craig in the role of 007 with Skyfall director Sam Mendes returning behind the camera. Sources close to the project say the film will begin shooting next summer.
Cruz’s name has come up in the Bond production offices before in the past, but an agreement was never reached due to scheduling problems. The actress is known to have accompanied Bardem on set during the filming of Skyfall in London.
The Vicky Cristina Barcelona star has said she is keen to take her career a little slower now that she’s a mom. “I will probably do a film a year, maybe two, but not more, because now I have other priorities,” she said. Cruz is set to appear alongside Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Bardem in The Counselor, the new film from Ridley Scott, and plans to take part in a major production telling the story of the Gucci clan. She has also been diversifying her activities, creating her own clothing and handbag lines, as well as a collection for lingerie firm Agent Provocateur with her sister Mónica Cruz. The actress also recently turned director, filming a spot for the underwear company.
Along with the sisters’ mother, Mónica will be one of Penélope’s neighbors in the luxurious Valdelagua development outside of Madrid. The younger Cruz recently became a single mother herself to a baby girl conceived by artificial insemination.
