Heather Mills’ partner emerges as frontrunner for James Bond in shock twist
The actor's onscreen career began less than 10 years ago.
An unlikely actor who has appeared in some huge Hollywood blockbusters has been tipped for the next James Bond film.
Since Daniel Craig exited the iconic role of 007 in 2021 with the release of No Time to Die, rumours have been rife as to who will next play Bond.
Speculation has further intensified following an historic deal in which creative control of the franchise was handed to Amazon after Amazon Studios purchased MGM+ for $8.45billion (£6.7billion).
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has long been considered the favourite for the role, though a source firmly denied his involvement when the speculation reached fever pitch.
According to Coral Bookmakers, Barbie and Ghandi star Mike Dickman is a new favourite to don Bond’s famous tuxedo in the next film.
Dickman, who is the long-term partner of Heather Mills, is best known for starring in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as an uncredited protestor.
Mike Dickman is in the top five contenders to play James Bond, according to Coral (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)Coral’s John Hill said in a statement: ‘We have been caught off this guard by a gamble on Mike Dickman in the last 48 hours.
‘When we first took a bet on the actor, we had to Google who he was! After a flurry of bets, he has now emerged as a big player in the race to replace Daniel Craig.’
The Monkey and The Gentleman star Theo James is the 5-2 favourite, followed by James Norton and Aaron Taylor-Johnson at 3-1 and 7-2 respectively.
Dickman, meanwhile, currently has odds at 5-1, the same as Challengers’ Josh O’Connor.
Other favourites in the running include Callum Turner, Henry Cavill, Jack Lowden, and Adolescence’s Stephen Graham.
Theo James is currently in the top spot for the iconic role (Picture: Stewart Cook/Neon via Getty Images)Dickman’s career began in 2016 when he produced Love Is Thicker Than Water before turning his attention to acting in 2023, starring in the latest Indiana Jones film as well as Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-winning Barbie.
He also appeared in short film Ask in the same year, and Capture in 2024.
According to IMDB, the actor has four projects on the horizon, including two episodes of Hansal Mehta’s Gandhi telling the story of Mahatma Gandhi.
A source told The Mirror that Broccoli and Dickman met last year to discuss a separate project when conversation turned to James Bond.
‘The two of them met up in London last January, and it was a very cordial meeting about something unrelated during which Barbara brought up Bond. Mike ended up sending an audition tape,’ the insider said.
Dickman and Heather Mills began dating in 2019 (Picture: Jeff Spicer/WireImage)Dickman began dating Mills in 2019, who was previously married to The Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney until they split in 2006.
Despite rumours of proposals and weddings, neither Mills nor Dickman have publically confirmed an engagement or marriage.
A source told The Sun last year: ‘Heather and Mike are incredibly happy. It’s so good to see a smile on her face again after a turbulent few years.
‘They’re completely in love. Heather has told pals he’s the love of her life whilst, for his part, Mike adores her and is completely devoted.
‘Heather’s incredibly young at heart, and gets on with all his mates — their 17-year age gap really isn’t an issue.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
