LICENCE TO THRILL

As Naomie Harris returns as Miss Moneypenny in the upcoming Bond film No Time To Die, she revisits some of the roles that have shaped her career

Actor Naomie Harris revisits some of her film career highlights

Naomie Harris began acting as a child, appearing in the BBC children’s show Simon And The Witch. She’s gone on to enjoy an impressive film career, first gaining attention as a post-apocalyptic survivor in 28 Days Later, before making her mark as a voodoo witch in Pirates Of The Caribbean and an intelligence analyst in Miami Vice. But it was her pioneering role as M’s secretary, Eve Moneypenny, in the 2012 Bond film Skyfall that brought her global recognition. She became the first Black actress to take the role, and the first Moneypenny to be given a first name. ‘My mum instilled this belief in me that you can achieve anything, but it requires hard work,’ she says. ‘I want to do the very best I can for her, for my family. This is the one life we get – let’s make the most of it.’

Following her subsequent appearance in Spectre, she will next be seen in the 25th instalment, No Time To Die. ‘It’s a tie-up of Skyfall and Spectre, but with massive surprises, so I think we’re going to really shock people,’ she says.

Naomie, 44, lives in London with her partner, Peter Legler. Here, she looks back on some of her greatest roles to date…

28 DAYS LATER (2002)

‘Filming outside in November was freezing. Cross-channel swimmers lather themselves up with Vaseline; that’s supposed to protect you from the elements. So that’s what we did, every night!’

AFTER THE SUNSET (2004)

‘I brought my family over to the Bahamas and so did Pierce [Brosnan] and Woody [Harrelson]. We all got together in the evenings; it was lovely.’

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (2006)

‘I love the fact that I was able to create a character from scratch; I wasn’t confined by the limits of reality. Tia’s tough, playful and sensual.’

MIAMI VICE (2006)

‘I was nervous about doing the love scenes, but [director] Michael Mann was great because he made sure there were as few people in the room as possible.’

SKYFALL (2012)

‘When I went for my audition for the role, the producers said they wanted to make a real distinction between this Moneypenny and the ones from the past. They said: “We want you to represent the modern woman, and want women to be able to watch you and respect you. That you are just as capable as Bond.” That was really important to me, and one of the reasons I wanted to play the role.’

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (2013)

‘I remember that after Winnie Mandela watched the film for the first time at the premiere in South Africa, she said it was “too real” for her. She felt that it wasn’t like watching people acting but it was more like watching a re-enactment of their lives. You couldn’t ask for a higher honour than that.’

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SPECTRE (2015)

‘I felt more comfortable playing Moneypenny in this film. She was trying to be like a mini-bond in Skyfall, but I think in Spectre she was much happier.’

OUR KIND OF TRAITOR (2016)

‘What’s beautiful about this film is that Gail loves her husband, and they go on this incredible journey and risk their own lives.’

COLLATERAL BEAUTY (2016)

‘This film deals with some dark subjects, but because of how playful Will Smith is, he always lifted the energy on set.’

NO TIME TO DIE (2021)

‘Quite a lot of time has passed since Spectre… half a decade! Moneypenny has grown up somewhat. She’s an independent woman, with her own life.’

MOONLIGHT (2016)

‘I never wanted to play a stereotypical role. But I loved the script and Barry [Jenkins, the director] told me: “As a Black man, I don’t want to ask you to play a crack addict. But the reality is, this is my story.”’