John Cleese still wants to play James Bond — and Lady Jane Grey
Shaken, stirred, and crowned: John Cleese sets his sights on playing James Bond and Lady Jane Grey next.
John Cleese is 86 and still shooting his shot. Not for a cozy cameo or a gentle retirement tour, but for James Bond... and Lady Jane Grey. Yes, really. The man has jokes, and he knows exactly how to deliver them.
What he said (and where he said it )
During a chat with Pop Crave at the Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta, Cleese was asked which roles he is still chasing. He did not go small.
"I would like to play James Bond but I have been passed over time and time and time again, and the truth is, I am getting a bit old for it now. Other than that, I would love to play the part of Lady Jane Grey that was the woman who very nearly Queen of England but was beheaded."
Classic Cleese: bone-dry delivery, perfectly absurd targets. Pop Crave shared the clip on June 29, 2026.
Why the Bond bit lands
Besides the obvious age gag, it is a cheeky wink at his own 007 history. Cleese played Q's assistant, R, in The World Is Not Enough and kept the gadget bench warm through Die Another Day. So when he says he has been 'passed over' for Bond, it is very much a bit — but also a timely one, given the eternal hunt for the next 007.
Why he was in Malta in the first place
The Mediterrane Film Festival ran in Malta from June 21 to June 28, 2026, and wrapped with the Golden Bee Awards. Cleese was one of the honorees, taking home the Icon Award — presented by Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech — and making an entrance on a floating armchair to accept it. The Golden Bees celebrate films, performances, and industry figures across categories including feature film, screenwriting, original score, Mediterranean cinema, and lifetime achievement.
The long, winding Cleese-ography
Cleese has never colored inside the lines. He helped reinvent sketch comedy with Monty Python and its spin-offs like Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian, then co-created the still-quoted-every-week Fawlty Towers. He shifted gears for the sharp, larcenous A Fish Called Wanda, and later dove into franchise territory. Reinvention has basically been his brand.
Will he ever play James Bond or Lady Jane Grey? No. Did he just remind everyone why he is still one of the funniest people alive while picking up an Icon Award? Absolutely. Even when he is not angling for a part, he knows how to steal the scene.