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Who is Aaron Taylor-Johnson – and is he the next James Bond? The Bullet Train actor models for Calvin Klein, hangs with Margot Robbie and Chris Hemsworth – and spoke up about the 007 rumours

Aaron Taylor Johnson is rumoured to be the next James Bond. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram

The fan speculation over who will be the next James Bond hasn’t died down.

Ever since Daniel Craig stepped down from the 007 role after a 15-year run with his last film No Time to Die releasing in 2021, netizens have been jumping at every opportunity to guess who might be next in filling the boots of the iconic spy character.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a British actor. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram

There have even been multiple polls, with the internet sharing their opinions on who they think would make the perfect Bond.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson modelling for Calvin Klein. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram

One name that keeps coming up amid the hype? Aaron Taylor-Johnson. In fact, the British actor recently had a “top secret meeting” with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, according to Vanity Fair.

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When asked by Esquire about the prospect of playing a role as legendary as Craig’s successor, Taylor-Johnson, 33, replied saying it would be “exciting to consider” – without confirming or denying the speculations. He was then questioned about the likelihood of Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill taking the torch, to which he said, somewhat cryptically, “I mean, if you’re a betting man …”

So what do we know about this potential Bond-to-be – and does he have what it takes?

Aaron Taylor Johnson is a British actor

Aaron Taylor-Johnson on the red carpet. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram

The English stage, TV and film actor was born in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in 1990.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has English, Russian and Jewish roots. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram

According to his IMDB profile, Taylor-Johnson hails from English-Russian Jewish descent and has one sister Gemma Johnson, who played a small role in his film Tom & Thomas in 2002.

He was a teen heartthrob in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Photo: @lucyj_ford/Twitter

Taylor-Johnson has been acting since he was a kid. According to TV Guide, he made his first appearance at age six in Macbeth in 1999, and scored a role in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons a year later.

He starred in a handful of gigs, including Shanghai Knights (2003) with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson and The Illusionist (2006) with Edward Norton and Jessica Biel, then gained relative notoriety for his role as heartthrob Robbie in 2008’s feel-good teen comedy Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

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He’s starred in a string of popular films

Aaron Taylor Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz in a scene from Kick-Ass. Photo: Universal Pictures
Taylor-Johnson started landing bigger roles as he grew up, playing the lead character in films like Kick-Ass (2010) opposite Chloë Grace Moretz, Chatroom (2010) with Imogen Poots, and Savages (2012) with Blake Lively, Salma Hayek and John Travolta.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry in Bullet Train. Photo: Handout
He also joined the MCU to act in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020), The King’s Man (2021) and most recently in 2022, joined Bullet Train’s A-list cast with Brad Pitt and Joey King, for David Leitch’s fast-paced action-comedy film. His next film Kraven the Hunter is set to release this year.

He’s modelled for Calvin Klein

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in a Calvin Klein campaign. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram

With his ripped physique and chiselled jawline, it was only going to be a matter of time before fashion brands like Calvin Klein tapped into his growing stardom and fan base by collaborating with the actor.

He featured in the label’s spring 2023 collection. One of the most pleasant surprises from the viral video, however, was his dancing – a skill that he shows off every now and then, like for Rhye’s “Black Rain” music video, which was directed by his wife.

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His wife Sam Taylor-Johnson is 23 years older than him

Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the Cartier annual international party in April 2018. Photo: Stephane Feugere

Aaron and his wife Sam Taylor-Johnson have one of the biggest age gaps in Hollywood, with her being 23 years older than him. Although they have proven their long-time romance knows no bounds, the two have caused controversy in the past due to the fact that Aaron met director Sam when he was 18 and she was 42, per Cosmopolitan. Aaron was auditioning for the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, a film that Sam directed, when they first crossed paths, states Newsweek.

Filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson and actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson attend Rock4EB in 2014, in Malibu, California. Photo: AFP

After wrapping up filming, the actor proposed to Sam in 2009, and they had their first child together a year later, per People magazine. They now have four kids, including two from Sam’s previous marriage. Sam is now 56.

In 2019, Aaron told The Telegraph: “When I met Sam I’d already lived a life far beyond that of most of my contemporaries – I didn’t relate to anyone my age. I just feel that we’re on the same wavelength.”

A-list events and celebrity circles

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Karen Elson, Dakota Johnson and Laura Love attend the Gucci cruise 2016 show at Dia Art Foundation in June 2015, in New York City. Photo: Handout

Considering the films that Taylor-Johnson has starred in and the roster of high-profile actors he’s worked with from a young age, it’s hardly surprising to hear that he’s part of Hollywood’s tight-knit circles.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt promoting Bullet Train. Photo: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram
Selfies with Brad Pitt. Hanging with Barbie’s Margot Robbie. Events with Dev Patel. More selfies with Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner. Plus the occasional front-row spot at fashion shows, like Gucci’s cruise event back in 2015. The list never ends.

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Who else is in the running for the coveted role of James Bond?

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan stars as James Bond in the film GoldenEye in 1995, almost three decades ago. Photo: Getty Images
Previous Bond stars have included Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore, to name a few.
Henry Cavill attends the US premiere of Mission: Impossible – Fallout in Washington. Photo: AP
While the Bond production team have remained tight-lipped over who will take the torch from Craig, some popular candidates besides Taylor-Johnson have included Henry Cavill, James Norton, Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Regé-Jean Page, Henry Golding, Andrew Garfield and Jacob Elordi.
  • The British actor joins a list of potential candidates rumoured to be in the running as Daniel Craig’s successor, like Henry Cavill and Idris Elba – but he has a thriving career in his own right
  • The 33-year-old starred in Bullet Train, The King’s Man, Tenet and Avengers: Age of Ultron, to name a few, models for Calvin Klein and is married to Nowhere Boy’s director, who’s 23 years his senior