Bodyguard’s Richard eyeing up Bond role

IT WAS the gripping and hugely successful TV drama that made his name.

Yet Richard Madden’s future in the BBC drama has been thrown into doubt – as the show’s producers confirm the Scottish actor, right, is in contention to play James Bond.

The heart-throb, 32, played troubled Afghanistan war veteran David Budd in Bodyguard, and picked up the prize of Best Drama Performance at the National Television Awards in Britain last week. A second series is expected but a producer on the show has revealed: ‘We don’t know if Richard will do series two of Bodyguard.’

And totally unprompted, he added: ‘It depends what happens with James Bond, we don’t know yet.’

There has been increasing speculation about Madden replacing Daniel Craig in the most coveted role in the movies.

It is understood that Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has been in touch with Madden – and he even went as far as to do a shoot dressed as the suave hero for glossy magazine, GQ. In the interview, he couldn’t help but gush about the opportunity, saying it was a ‘brilliant thing’ to be touted as Craig’s successor.

He said: ‘I love the movies. I’ve read all the books. If you talk about it, you’ll curse it.’

Craig has long expressed a desire to retire from the famously physically demanding role but has been persuaded by Ms Broccoli to give it one more go – with him agreeing in 2015 to star in the next 007 film, currently titled Bond 25. Shortly before Craig signed the big-money deal, the 50-yearold star said he would rather ‘slash his wrists’ than play the character again, adding: ‘If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.’ Madden has been described by Hollywood experts as ‘the perfect choice’ to become Bond. Before he starred in Bodyguard, he played Robb Stark in TV fantasy series Game Of Thrones.