#Big 007 Reveal Brought Racist Harassment Says No Time to Die Star Lashana Lynch

No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch discussed the racist harassment she received over the big 007 reveal, which was leaked last year. It wasn’t confirmed at the time, but a report about a Black woman taking on the 007 status really started to rub some James Bond fans the wrong way, and they immediately let Lynch know that they were not pleased. For a week, the Captain Marvel actress deleted social media and stuck to meditation as a way to see past the racist remarks and negativity. The news has since been confirmed, which has opened up the can of worms again.

In No Time to Die, Lashana Lynch takes up the 007 moniker, due to the retirement of Daniel Craig’s James Bond. Her Nomi character has been confirmed as the new 007 of the franchise, and she is the first woman to take on the role. When the news leaked in April of last year, Lynch ended up only seeing her family before coming to the conclusion that none of the noise surrounding the movie was a personal attack on her. She explains.
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“I am one Black woman – if it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse… I just have to remind myself that the conversation is happening and that I’m a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary.”

Lashana Lynch went on to say that the attacks “don’t dishearten me.” The actress went on to note, “It makes me feel quite sad for some people because their opinions, they’re not even from a mean place – they’re actually from a sad place.” The internet and social media is often not kind to actors and actresses, as people can almost say anything they want without repercussion. “It’s not about me. People are reacting to an idea, which has nothing to do with my life,” says Lynch.

Lashana Lynch also went on to discuss her goals when she agreed to take on the role of Nomi in No Time to Die. “A character that is too slick, a cast-iron figure? That’s completely against what I stand for,” Lynch revealed. “I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent.” So, she had to dig into the script to find something that she could make her own. Lynch explains.

“I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real life represented. In every project I am part of, no matter the budget or genre, the Black experience that I’m presenting needs to be 100 per cent authentic.”

No Time to Die was supposed to have already been released in theaters. The original release date was back in April of this year, but it will now open in April 2021, as long as everything goes according to plan. As it stands, Lashana Lynch has had to deal with the backlash of a Black woman taking on the 007 role for over a year now, and it will likely continue until the movie is released, now that the news has been confirmed. You can check out the rest of the interview with Lynch over at Harper’s Bazaar.

Topics: James Bond, No Time to Die