Having just the right backside helped Dominic Cooper clinch the role of James Bond author Ian Fleming in new Sky Atlantic drama Fleming.
"I just found out I was chosen to play Ian Fleming because I had the best bum at the auditions! Quite how that happened I don't know, I'm still researching it," laughed Dominic, star of Mamma Mia! and The History Boys, who was speaking at Sky's autumn drama launch. "Basically this was really one big audition to play the next James Bond!
"Seriously though, Fleming is an astonishing story of a man's life who I knew very little about. Not all writers, actors or musicians have interesting lives, but what happened to him was quite astonishing, he really did live a really packed existence and was a very complex, sad lonely man who created the most successful books ever written and went on to be the most extraordinary film franchises ever. Sadly, he didn't really get to see all that success."
Dominic, who stars in Fleming alongside Sherlock's Lara Pulver as the writer's lover Baroness Ann O'Neill, was a little unsure which of the many Bond novels and films were his favourites.
"I've read the majority of Ian Fleming's Bond books, but I still don't have a favourite. My era for Bond movies was definitely Roger Moore, but of course I've looked further back to see what Sean Connery did, and learned about the background relationships between the different Bond actors and their producers. I'm still not sure which film was my absolute favourite, but I do love Sean Connery's early films because he was the actor who established Bond on screen.
"The last film Skyfall was amazing, and it made me realise just how incredible the franchise is. Would I fancy audtioning for the role of James Bond should Daniel Craig give up - well yes... No... Oooh, I don't know!"
Fleming will be shown on Sky Atlantic this autumn.
