It seems unlikely that actress Helen Mirren will star in the upcoming reboot of the James Bond franchise, regardless of who ends up in 007's costume. In a recent interview, the Oscar winner revealed that she has never been a big fan of the beloved character.

Mirren has appeared on screen with several Bond actors over the years, including Pierce Brosnan, with whom she stars in Guy Ritchie's upcoming MobLand series. She's also a cousin of the late Tanya Malet, who played gold digger sister Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) in the 1964 film Goldfinger.

In an interview with The Standard, however, Mirren is completely candid.

“I have to say, I've never been a big fan (of Bond),” she said, but quickly added that she adores Brosnan and thinks Daniel Craig is “a very nice and kind man.” Her problem has to do with the representation of women.

"The whole James Bond series wasn't my thing. It really wasn't. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were represented in James Bond," the actress explained.

Helen is far from the only person to point out that so-called “Bond girls” are deeply rooted in misogyny. From the beginning, their function in every film has been to be a treat for the audience's eyes and a quick diversion for 007.

While the series tries to keep up with the times, leaving the objectification of Ursula Andress and names like Pussy Galore in the past, it still hasn't gotten over what Mirren believes is its major flaw.

"The whole concept of James Bond is drenched in and born out of deep sexism. Women have always been a major and crucial part of the secret service, always have been. And have been very brave. If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they were amazingly, incredibly brave," the Hollywood star said.

Instead of continuing to tell Bond stories, she thinks it's high time producers started putting the stories of female agents at the forefront. | BGNES