{"id":620915,"date":"2026-09-11T00:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T00:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620915\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T00:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T00:54:12","slug":"exclusive-downton-abbey-star-responds-to-calls-for-him-to-be-the-next-james-bond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620915\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Downton Abbey star responds to calls for him to be the next James Bond"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Downtown Abbey star Arty Froushan has responded to calls for him to be the next James Bond as the journey to cast cinema&#8217;s most famous spy is reportedly reaching its endgame, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a73641143\/peaky-blinders-steven-knight-james-bond-cast-rumours\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a73641143\/peaky-blinders-steven-knight-james-bond-cast-rumours\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"if not outright finished\" data-node-id=\"3.2\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">if not outright finished<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a70951998\/downton-abbey-arty-froushan-next-james-bond\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a70951998\/downton-abbey-arty-froushan-next-james-bond\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Earlier this year\" data-node-id=\"9.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Earlier this year<\/a>, a small online movement named Froushan as a strong potential 007, while he also received the backing of his Daredevil: Born Again co-star Vincent D&#8217;Onofrio.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy at last night&#8217;s UK Special Screening of The Love Hypothesis, the actor spoke about the support.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"michelle dockery, arty froushan, dominic west, downton abbey: the grand finale\" title=\"Michelle Dockery, Arty Froushan, Dominic West, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/aa669bfd-a65e-4c81-b628-4a96aec52415.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Rory Mulvey\/\/Universal<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV\" data-node-id=\"18.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV<\/a> <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;I mean, no comment, but I will follow Vincent into battle. I&#8217;ll jump off a cliff for that man. Actually, maybe not. That&#8217;s probably too much, but I love him,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;A vote of confidence from him goes a long way so I&#8217;m glad to have him as my kind of weird, bald fairy godmother, looking out over me in the industry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a71557928\/love-hypothesis-release-date-prime-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a71557928\/love-hypothesis-release-date-prime-video\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Froushan&#039;s new film\" data-node-id=\"31.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Froushan&#8217;s new film<\/a> The Love Hypothesis is quite a different beast to Bond, Daredevil or even Downton.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">It&#8217;s a modern-day romantic comedy where a graduate student pretends to date a professor to prove to her friends that her love life is going well.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"arty froushan in the love hypothesis\" title=\"Arty Froushan in The Love Hypothesis\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2423\" height=\"1200\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/c81d1b35-dfc0-4228-80a5-028eceeba0a0.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Prime Video<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"40\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a73657318\/jodie-comer-stuffed-clip\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a73657318\/jodie-comer-stuffed-clip\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Jodie Comer sings in must-see first clip from &quot;twisted&quot; new movie with Harry Melling\" data-node-id=\"40.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Jodie Comer sings in must-see first clip from &#8220;twisted&#8221; new movie with Harry Melling<\/a> <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Froushan isn&#8217;t the professor in question, instead serving as the film&#8217;s antagonist. He explained: &#8220;I play a lot of difficult characters, a lot of villains, so I thought going further down that path of exploring authentic portrayals of bad men so that it illuminates for people the reality of power dynamics and manipulation in organisations and workplaces.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;It was tough because I thought the more authentic and the more truthful I can be to the role, the more upsetting it will be to watch which, on a purely acting level, was a gratifying experience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">He praised co-star Lili Reinhart and director Claire Scanlon  for creating &#8220;a really collaborative, largely female-led effort&#8221;, which helped him give an &#8220;honest&#8221; performance.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"56\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The Love Hypothesis comes to Prime Video on 23 September.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"61\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" data-node-id=\"61.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"65\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsarianagrande\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsarianagrande\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"65.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online<\/a>.<br data-node-id=\"65.5.0\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789088051_69_6bf117e6-90c2-44bc-a2bb-92355b4636ba_1550228669.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Joe Anderton\" title=\"Headshot of Joe Anderton\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he&#8217;s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TV<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">movies<\/a> both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I&#8217;m a Fish.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789088052_291_5ffb34a1-dc01-44c5-8739-d2cb365abae9_1686215818.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Jo Berry\" title=\"Headshot of Jo Berry\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Freelance film &amp; TV writer, Digital Spy<br \/>Critic and writer <a href=\"https:\/\/joannaberry.co.uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jo Berry<\/a> has been writing about TV and movies since she began her career at Time Out aged 18. A regular on BBC Radio, Jo has written for titles including Empire, Maxim, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/author\/joberry\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Radio Times<\/a>, OK!, The Guardian and Grazia, is the author of books including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Chick-Flicks-Girls-Guide-Movies\/dp\/0752868322\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chick Flicks<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Parents-Guide-Kids-Movies\/dp\/075287487X\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Parents\u2019 Guide to Kids\u2019 Movies<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She is also the editor of website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movies4kids.co.uk\/about\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Movies4Kids<\/a>. In her career, Jo has interviewed well-known names including Beyonce, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Cruise and all the Avengers, spent many an hour crushed in the press areas of award show red carpets. Jo is also a self-proclaimed expert on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/outlander\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Outlander<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a41009304\/brassic-future-confirmed-season-4\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brassic<\/a>, and completely agrees that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a35053882\/die-hard-christmas-movie-writer\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Die Hard is a Christmas movie<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/joanna-berry-4b95b035\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Downtown Abbey star Arty Froushan has responded to calls for him to be the next James Bond as&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620916,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[133587,139113,131124,1105,263678,1107,93,61,60,184510,1135,270,263677,223989],"class_list":["post-620915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-collection-exclusives","tag-collection-james-bond","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-18be1f1e-27a1-4339-9916-3dc4532dcba1","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-movies","tag-shorttitle-exclusive-downton-star-on-calls-for-him-to-play-bond","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}