![\"Miriam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SEI_310517528-c045.jpg\")
\n\t\tMiriam Margolyes is joining the James Bond franchise (Picture: ITV)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tMiriam Margolyes is joining the James Bond franchise (Picture: ITV)<\/p>\n
Miriam Margolyes is making her James Bond debut in a gender-swapped role, it\u2019s been confirmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Harry Potter<\/a> actor, 85, joins the cast of Young Bond: SilverFin as Cleek MacSawney, described as \u2018a violent henchperson on the Scottish estate of villain Lord Hellebore\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n She joins other new additions Harry Marcus and Christopher Nathan in the audio drama based on the first novel in Charlie Higson\u2019s Young Bond book series, starring The Crown<\/a>\u2019s Isaac Rouse as the man himself, 007.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Higson\u2019s novel, MacSawney is male but will be switched up especially for Margolyes.<\/p>\n The controversial actor and author \u2013 who recently came under fire for using a racist term<\/a> on This Morning<\/a> \u2013 enthused: \u2018Cleek is a violent, probably insane semi-criminal who works for Lord Hellebore on his estate in Scotland.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018You wouldn\u2019t want to meet her on a dark night, that\u2019s for sure. I do enjoy playing nasty people!\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Writer and director Barnaby Edwards added: \u2018I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to have Miriam in my life for two decades now.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018She\u2019s an extraordinary human being and a phenomenal actress. When I began adapting SilverFin, I was determined to get more female characters into it.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Thankfully, IFPL and Charlie Higson gave their blessing to gender-swapping the role of Cleek.\u2019<\/p>\n The announcement comes after Higson wading in on who should replace Daniel Craig <\/a>as Bond in the movie franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n The author previously admitted he felt Slow Horses star Jack Lowden was an \u2018unconvincing choice\u2019<\/a> to play 007 despite being the bookie\u2019s favourite.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t He\u2019s now declared that whoever Amazon Studios MGM casts as its first 007 since buying the franchise will be heavily criticised.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Whatever the answer, everyone will be very angry when they find out,\u2019 he told The Telegraph<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Steven Knight<\/a>, best known for creating Peaky Blinders, will be writing the next instalment in the Bond franchise, which will be directed by Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.\u00a0<\/p>\n He was recently asked on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme if the new Bond had been cast <\/a>yet and remained suspiciously coy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018I cannot speak about this subject. Much as I would dearly love to,\u2019 he laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n But presenter Anna Foster pressed him further, asking: \u2018Presumably you know who it is when you\u2019re writing it. Does that make a difference?\u2019<\/p>\n Knight replied: \u2018It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor.\u2019<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SEI_138823800-ebda.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe hunt is still on to find the next 007 (Picture: MGM\/Eon\/Danjaq\/UPI\/Kobal\/REX\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"Jack](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SEI259171447-d20a-e1786547134183.jpg\")
\n\t\tSlow horses sar Jack Lowden is the current front-runner to play 007 (Photo by Chad Salvador\/Variety via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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