BOND SCAR BADDIES SLAMMED AS ‘ LAZY’
Fury over disfigured villains
THE new James Bond film has been branded “lazy” and “damaging” to people with facial disfigurements for featuring a scarred villain.
Adam Pearson, casting researcher on TV’S The Undateables, said Rami Malek’s character Safin in No Time To Die is the “third disfigured Bond villain in a row”.
He blasted an interview in which Malek said he worked with prosthetics artists to develop “that look” and told how 007 star Daniel Craig flinched when he saw him.
Malek, 39, said Craig, 52, “took a step back from me. So that was already a good sign”.
But Adam, 35, who has neurofibromatosis which causes tumours to grow along his nerves, hit back: “‘ That look’ is called scarring and affects 1.2million people in the UK. Also if Rami is such a good actor why does he need prosthetics to enhance the character?”
Adam, an actor and TV presenter who starred in 2013 film Under The Skin and BBC documentary series Freak Show, added: “This is the third Bond baddie in a row now with a disfigurement.
“I’m not looking to restrict or cancel anything.
“I just find it lazy writing and lazy acting.” Charity
Aboutface has urged film industry bosses to stop reinforcing the idea that people with disfigurements are “monsters”.
A spokesman added: “The use of this trope leads to mistreatment, harassment and abuse of people with facial differences.”
Neither Malek nor Bond movie producer Barbara Broccoli responded to requests for comment.
The film’s release has been delayed until spring due to the pandemic.