I should be next James Bond instead of Aaron Taylor-Johnson says UK star who’s worked with A-listers & does own stunts
A STUNTMAN and actor who has worked alongside stars like Sean Bean has revealed why he should be chosen as the next James Bond.
Danny Clifford, 39, has travelled the world to perform in action movies both as a main character and as backstage crew putting his body on the line.
He has worked with the likes of A-list actor Sean Bean and will star alongside former special forces soldier and axed SAS: Who Dares Wins instructor Ant Middleton in a new action thriller next year.
Danny now has his sights set on global stardom and has thrown his hat into the ring to become the next James Bond.
He was speaking after Brit actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson was formally offered the job as 007.
Insiders said earlier this month the Kick-Ass movie star is expected to accept the role.
But Danny thinks he has what it takes to be the next Bond.
His career as a stuntman and now an actor was not always the life he envisaged, having initially embarked on a career as a firefighter.
The emotional strain of attending bloody car crashes, burning buildings and families losing their homes has stood Danny in good stead.
Despite the vastly different roles, he believes the skills developed as a firefighter have aided his performances.
He told The Sun: “Growing up, I wanted to do something that challenged me and something that gives back to people.
“It was 9/11 that ignited something inside me. Seeing all those people rushing into burning buildings, it was heartbreaking and heroic at the same time.
“I’ve been to serious car crashes, house fires – it’s all testing on your emotions. You can be on a night shift in a nice, warm bed and then 30 minutes later there’s a big car pile-up and blood everywhere. I was 18 when I signed up, so you grow up very fast.”
Danny moved to Australia in his early 20s, before returning to the UK and starting a construction business three years later.
But a desire for action and “living like James Bond” saw him begin taking acting classes, following in the footsteps of his actor dad as he approached 30.
Danny began taking classes specialising in fighting scenes and choreography while attending the Royal Academy for Dramatic Art.
He then got a break with a role filming for a Disney series in Morocco, where it was also his first chance to show off his skills.
The stuntman said: “They changed my lines on the day, so I was surrounded by 600 extras desperately trying to re-learn them. Then there was a stunt-double who looked absolutely nothing like me.
“He was 5ft 8ins and eight-stone wet-through, so they had to use me for the stunts. There was lots of fighting scenes, but I only had three chances to get everything right.”
But life as a stuntman comes is also often fraught with life-endangering activity, too.
British hunk formally offered role of James Bond
By HOWELL DAVIES and ELLIE HENMAN
BRIT actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson is taking his martinis shaken, not stirred, after being formally offered the job as the new James Bond.
Insiders said the Kick-Ass movie star is expected to accept the role as 007, taking over from Daniel Craig, who has played MI6’s most famous spy for 15 years.
Eon Productions, which makes the spy thriller films, is on course to start shooting this year.
A source said: “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back.
“As far as Eon is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement.”
Broken bones are a regular occurrence for Danny, who performs his own stunts – often having to tackle his own fear of heights.
He said: “I have so much respect for Tom Cruise because he does his own stunts. That is the road I want to go down.
Danny is set to star alongside Ant Middleton in UK thriller Shelter, with filming to begin in July, while he will also play an MI5 agent in another upcoming movie.
I once had a near-miss where I nearly broke my neck. I was falling down a floor in an abandoned building onto a matt.
“The scene was a guy kicking me through a window. I’m scared of heights, so it’s nerve-wracking for me already and you have to make it all look dramatic, but no one re-placed the matt following each fall, so it slowly shifted to the point I only just caught the end of it.
“I often get bruised and bashed about.”
And Danny believes stunt performers deserve more credit for putting their body on the line behind the scenes.
He added: “Actors want to be seen, ‘look at me and give me the awards’ – they want to take all the credit.
“It’s rare that actors do many stunts. It’s why I have so much respect for people like Tom Cruise. They normally just stand there or have their feet up while we put our bodies on the line.
STARS NO TIME TO VIE
A HOST of actors had been in the running to be the next 007.
Irish star Cillian Murphy, 47, was tipped after his win at the Oscars.
Oppenheimer co-star Clay Bunker backed him and said: “Cillian’s the nicest but has that dark side like Bond.”
Theo James, who stars in new Netflix series The Gentlemen, was also in the running.
But the White Lotus actor, 39, said he feared the role.
DC Superman Henry Cavill, 40, was also linked to Bond, having previously auditioned for Daniel Craig’s role.
Casino Royale director Martin Campbell said: “If Daniel didn’t exist, Henry would’ve made an excellent Bond.”
Happy Valley’s James Norton, 38, was in the running for the spy lead but when asked about the possibility he said: “I’d love to play a Bond villain.”
Idris Elba, 51, had been voted the top man for the role by loyal Bond fans.
But The Wire actor said the prospect had soured because of a racist backlash to rumours of him landing the gig.
“Us stuntmen are all just normal people doing extreme sports and have a lust for life. They are not bothered about the awards.
“I worked with Sean Bean on the set of Sharpe. He was very genuine and down to earth – just a typical Yorkshireman. He just shoots the s***. He never talks much about acting, he just gets on with his job.”
Now Danny has his sights on landing perhaps the most iconic action role in film, 007.
Rumours about 007’s potential replacement have been swirling for years following Daniel Craig‘s on-screen death in No Time to Die.
Fans will likely have to wait until 2025 or 2026 for the next film.
But Danny has thrown his hat into the ring and says he is perfect for the role.
He said: “I thought Daniel Craig was an amazing James Bond. I am a guy with old school values, I’m proud to be English, I have served my country before as a firefighter.
“He has been through struggles and so have. He has similar features to me and I get cast for those sorts of roles.”