Why One James Bond Audition Requirement Makes Or Breaks The 007 Casting Explained By Director Martin Campbell

The James Bond casting process is a long and exhaustive one, but the search all comes down to one simple thing in the end, according to two-time 007 director Martin Campbell.

The one attribute an actor must display in order to win the role of Bond can be summed up with a single word, Campbell explained in a recent interview (via Gold Derby). “The word is effortless,” he said Casino Royale and GoldenEye director said.

To test every aspiring Bond’s command of that particular, very important 007 attribute, actors are required to perform a particular scene from the classic Bond film From Russia With Lovenor Campbell related:

It’s a simple scene. Bond comes into a hotel room, takes off his jacket and gun and goes to run a bath. He senses someone is there and crosses over the balcony to a sliding door — and there’s a girl in bed waiting for him.

The director also went into more detail about what “effortless” means when it comes to Bond:

You never see Bond fumble; he’s very economical, efficient — and effortless. That scene covers all the bases, basically.

Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig both passed the test, under the watchful eye of Campbell and Eon’s Barbara Broccoli. With Amazon MGM Studios now taking charge of the Bond franchise, who knows if 007’s From Russia With Love test will continue to be administered to would-be Bonds.

The process of picking the actor to succeed Craig as Bond is indeed ongoing. The list of favorites on betting site Oddschecker currently includes Callum Turner (Masters of the Air), Anthony Boyle (House of Guinness), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nosferatu), Leo Suter (Vikings: Valhalla), Theo James (The Gentlemen), and James Nelson-Joyce (This City Is Ours).

One-time Bond finalist Henry Cavill is further down the list, along with some out-of-leftfield long-shots, including Emma Watson, Tom Hiddleston, and Jodie Comer. Tom Hardy has faded to near the bottom of the favorites list after once being considered a front-runner.

Speaking to ScreenRant back in February 2025, Campbell addressed the possibility of Brosnan making a Bond comeback, or of a past losing candidate like Cavill being reconsidered. “They’re all too old,” he said bluntly, explaining that all Bonds are required to sign multi-film contracts, which means whoever gets picked has to fall within a certain age range.

“I think you have to have somebody in their thirties, 35, 36, if they’re going to see five films,” Campbell said.

The Casino Royale and GoldenEye helmer also discussed his chances of one day joining the very short list of directors who’ve done three Bond films, and went with the old, reliable “never say never” approach.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t say no,” Campbell replied when asked about his potential franchise return. “The point is that I love Bond.”

Bond 26 is currently in production, with Denis Villeneuve taking his first crack at directing an entry in the most iconic of all spy movie franchises.