Bond Girls Can Be Feminists, Says Bond Actress

Naomie Harris in Cosmopolitan UK. Photography by Ben Riggott

In Skyfall, the latest James Bond film to be released, Naomie Harris stepped into the role of Eve Moneypenny, playing the personal assistant to M (Judi Dench), the head of MI6. But being the head of a secret spy agency’s secretary definitely isn’t a desk job. The part had Harris shooting machine guns, chasing after bad guys, and taking crooks down with her beauty, brains, and sometimes even hand-to-hand combat. For Spectre, the forthcoming movie adaptation of Ian Fleming’s novel, the 39-year-old reprises her role. And while being sexually conquered and turned to mush by a muscular man has made Bond’s conquests seem weak and stereotypically subversive, Harris thinks this time, it’s different.

“I think you absolutely can [be a feminist Bond girl]. Sam [Mendes, the director] loves strong, multidimensional women; that’s incredibly important to him,” the Brit told Cosmopolitan UK. “Barbara Broccoli [daughter of original Bond producer Albert] is at the helm of the franchise too, and she’s a strong woman who has a big say in how the characters are developed.”

Appearing on the October cover in a red fringe dress, Harris spoke of the latest Bond girl, an Italian actress set to capture Daniel Craig’s character’s eye. “You can see that in Spectre — Monica Bellucci’s character is incredible feisty, and rejects Bond’s help,” Harris noted of Belucci’s Lucia Sciarra. "She’s like, ‘I can do this on my own!’”

But just because this particular movie has been able to portray women appropriately (and equally), doesn’t mean others have. “It’s very difficult to find roles as well-written as male ones, and with as much screen time. Then there’s one amazing script that sparks your imagination, and gets you really excited. They are there, it’s just they’re mostly dominated by male roles,” she lamented. "I definitely think it’s tougher for women in film, but then I look at Meryl Streep, and… I thought there would be other actresses breaking through. I’m sure there are. Jennifer Aniston, I guess? But she’s comedic.”

Struggling to pinpoint a specific star, she admitted that maybe there’s a glass ceiling. “I’m really struggling to think of women who can consistently open movies. OK, Reese Witherspoon! There are women doing it, but yeah, it’s harder.”

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