Lashana Lynch was forced to delete her social media accounts after experiencing rampant online abuse from angry James Bond fans when it was revealed that she would portray the first Black 007 in No Time to Die. Lashana told Harper’s Bazaar in the December issue, “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,” the actress, 32, stated. Lashana, best known for playing Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel, is an MI6 agent named Nomi in the upcoming Bond film. No Time to Die was originally slated for release in early 2020, but was bumped due to the pandemic. The film has major hype for potentially being Daniel Craig‘s last time playing James Bond, but Lashana’s historic role shouldn’t be overshadowed.
“I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent,” Lashana said. “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% authentic.” Not only is Lashana the first Black actor to portray 007, she’s the first woman in the role embodied exclusively by men since the first film, Dr. No, in 1962.
“I feel very grateful that I get to challenge those narratives,” Lashana told Harper’s. “We’re moving away from toxic masculinity, and that’s happening because women are being open, demanding and vocal, and calling out misbehavior as soon as we see it.” No Time to Die is scheduled to hit theaters in April 2021