Skyfall already has nabbed the biggest domestic opening for any James Bond pic, having earned an $87.8 million debut weekend and bringing its worldwide cume to $518.6 million.
The 23rd Bond film, helmed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig in his third turn as the secret agent, features the debut of two Bond girls, played by Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe.
PHOTOS: The Making of ‘Skyfall’: Bond is Back, Better Than Ever
Harris plays Eve, an M16 agent who accompanies Bond on one of his missions. Harris tells The Hollywood Reporter that she benefited from speaking to a real former agent when preparing for the part.
“I was able to interview him and find out about his life,” she says. “And that was great for me because I was able to imagine all of those things and what would have happened if I left university, and instead of getting into this profession actually went into that profession. What would I be like as an agent?”
As for Marlohe’s character, the French actress says she based it on a mythological creature.
“I took my imagination of a mythical Greek animal, the chimera,” she tells THR. “It’s an animal between a dragon, a snake and a black panther.”
Neither of the actresses knew Craig before starting on the film, but they said it was easy to create that signature sexual tension that Bond and his love interests always have.
STORY: THR Cover: How the Bond Franchise Almost Died
“I think largely it comes from being playful,” Harris tells THR. “And just having fun and feeling relaxed.”
Harris credits Craig with creating the relaxed atmosphere needed for those scenes of seduction.
“He makes you laugh, he makes you feel relaxed, and then you have room to play,” she says.
Craig’s third turn as 007 follows the secret agent as he must protect M (Judi Dench) when her past comes back to haunt her.
And while Harris and Marlohe might be joining a large family of past Bond girls, they promise their characters also are bringing something new to the franchise.
“What is exciting as an actress and what is exciting for the audience is to see something new, a new creation,” says Marlohe. “We wanted all – Daniel and us – to pay an homage to the Bond characters, Bond Girls or James Bonds, but reinventing it also.”
Skyfall is in theaters now.
Email: Rebecca.Ford@thr.com; Twitter: @Beccamford
