With a buzzy fall festival run for his turn opposite Paul Mescal in “All of Us Strangers” and a lead role in Netflix’s upcoming “Ripley” limited series on the horizon, Andrew Scott has had a big 2023. But his recent string of successes prompted the “Fleabag” star to revisit one of his more disappointing professional experiences: playing the villainous C in Sam Mendes’ “Spectre,” widely considered one of the worst James Bond films of the 21st century.
In a new interview with British GQ, Scott reminisced about his “Spectre” experience and explained why he now feels like he’s better suited to more nuanced roles.
“If I’m honest, it’s not a territory that I feel like I would want to go over again,” Scott said of his attempt to play a Bond villain. “Now I know who I am a little bit more, I feel like the work that I’m just interested in doing is more in the grey areas. I suppose it’s just that I didn’t think… I just maybe wasn’t that good in it.”
After the overwhelming success of “Skyfall” in 2012, Mendes’ return to the Bond director’s chair made “Spectre” one of the most anticipated movie events of 2015. The film ultimately underperformed with critics, something that Mendes has chalked up to what he sees as inadequate time to perfect the script. He contrasted the rushed “Spectre” writing process to that of “Skyfall,” where an extra 10 months allowed him to explore new twists and plot developments before filming.
“These movies are very difficult to write. Those 10 months of downtime, that’s when the script really turned around, because we had the time to go down blind alleys and try things… That time was not afforded to me when we made ‘Spectre.’ And you can see the difference in the script,” Mendes said in 2022. “[With ‘Spectre’], I felt there was some pressure. Certainly [producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson] exerted some pressure on me and Daniel to make the next one, so that makes a big difference. People saying: ‘We want you to do it,’ and passionately wooing me to do it, was a big thing.”
