Jonathan Pryce says Bond movies need more ‘lightness’ and ‘levity’

Bond star Sir Jonathan Pryce tells LBC’s Andrew Marr that he would like to see film producers bring ‘a bit of lightness [and] levity’ back to the franchise…

Actor and former Bond villain Sir Jonathan Pryce has told LBC’s Andrew Marr that he would like to see the producers bring ‘a bit of lightness [and] levity’ back to the franchise, praising Daniel Craig for his ‘fantastic’ take on 007 but accusing the production of ‘trying to keep up with other action ventures like the Bourne series’ in recent years.

Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr on LBC, The Crown star also told Andrew that he believes the Netflix series ‘did nothing but enhance the image of the Royal Family’ and revealed why he apologised to Princess Anne for his portrayal of the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.

Asked what he would like to see from a new James Bond film, Sir Jonathan told Andrew:

‘I’d like them to bring back a bit of lightness into Bond. I think they were trying to keep up with other action ventures like the Bourne series and Daniel Craig did a fantastic job, but I’d like a little bit of levity back in it.’

On whether The Crown contributed to the public’s distorted view of the Royal Family that fuelled the conspiracy theories relating to the Princess of Wales, Sir Jonathan said:

 ‘The Crown did nothing but enhance the image of the Royal Family. It made them an entirely sympathetic family with the problems that all of us have. I think these latest things have to do with the internet especially, the media a little, searching for a story. They love a conspiracy theory.’

Sir Jonathan Pryce speaks to Andrew Marr

Asked why he apologised to Princess Anne following his portrayal of Prince Philip in The Crown, Sir Jonathan replied:

 ‘I was seduced into saying that to her, because a few weeks earlier, Lesley Manville had received a CBE from Princess Anne, and they talked about The Crown. So, I knew she had watched it. So, I’m there being dubbed, and I stood up and I thinking she must be thinking you’re playing my father. And I said, I don’t know what to say to you unless I’m sorry. And she rather humorously replied, why it’s done now… I didn’t know if she was referring to the dubbing or my portrayal. So that was that. So, then we had an awkward few minutes before I was gladly released.’

Reflecting on his new sci-fi drama, Sir Jonathan shared that he believes the world is now a more dangerous place than when he was young, telling Andrew:

 ‘I’ve got a family of fairly young children and I fear for them, and I fear for all young people that they don’t have that hope that was instilled in us during the 60s… Yes, it is absolutely [more dangerous]. It comes from every angle and the threat of nuclear war is back, thanks to Putin. And lots of threats are there from all kinds of quarters.’

LBC’s Tonight with Andrew Marr