Aaron Taylor-Johnson talks upcoming projects, responds to James Bond casting rumors
"I'm just trying to juggle my family and my work. I'm doing normal life."
Aaron Taylor-Johnson discussed some of his upcoming high-profile roles and responded to the rumors he's next in line to play James Bond in a new interview with Rolling Stone UK.
When asked about the buzz that he's been cast as the new 007, the actor told the outlet he "can only really talk about" the projects that the world knows are coming -- notably "The Fall Guy," "Kraven the Hunter" and "Nosferatu."
He also addressed the commitment such a role would require of him, saying, "I don't feel like I need to have a future drawn out for me."
"Good Morning America" has reached out to the studio behind the James Bond franchise as well as Johnson's personal team for comment on the casting rumors.
Elsewhere in the interview, Taylor-Johnson -- who is the magazine's April/May 2024 cover star -- opened up about how acting has shaped him, his upcoming roles and his family life.
Why he calls acting his 'saving grace'
Johnson made his film debut at the age of 10 in 2003's "Shanghai Knights" alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, but he has been acting since he was 6.
He left school at the age of 15 after he said he began to resent his teachers, who he said spoke to him like a child, while adults in the film industry spoke to him like a professional.
By spending time on sets, Taylor-Johnson said those jobs "kept me out of trouble at the right time" because there wasn't much to do but "be naughty" in the London suburbs he grew up in.
"And that was fun, but acting was a saving grace," he explained.
'The Fall Guy,' 'Kraven the Hunter' and 'Nosferatu' roles
For "The Fall Guy," in which Taylor-Johnson stars as a self-centered actor with "Barbie" star Ryan Gosling as his stuntman, Taylor-Johnson said he and director David Leitch grew the role over time.
"David asked me about two weeks before production to do a cameo, and we expanded the role from there," he shared, calling the movie "a real love letter to the stunt crew."
After "The Fall Guy" hits theaters on May 3, Taylor-Johnson will next be seen in "Kraven the Hunter," playing the titular Marvel supervillain.
He teased that "something unique … and something grounded" about the character drew him to the film, and said he relishes the fact that the movie, from director J. C. Chandor, has an R rating.
Taylor-Johnson also recently wrapped shooting for Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" remake, which required him to trim down for the Victorian era after bulking up to play Kraven the Hunter.
He called Eggers "a cinephile" and "an encyclopedia of film," saying he wanted to work with him no matter the size of the role.
"I just wanted to be a part of his vision, and the boundaries he's pushing in cinema," he said. "And when you work with people who are on that level of genius in their craft, there's an energy with that that you ride on."
Taylor-Johnson also said he and the cast "became really tight and reliant on each other, in a healthy, creative way."
On his job as a dad
Taylor-Johnson also opened up about his home life during the interview.
He gushed about the "four gorgeous daughters" he shares with wife Sam Taylor-Johnson, including her two eldest daughters from a previous marriage and their two youngest, whom they welcomed together.
"...I'm just trying to juggle my family and my work. I'm doing normal life," he shared.
"Career doesn't necessarily take a back seat, but it takes a different thought behind the choices you make," he explained.
Regarding fatherhood, the actor said it made him realize it's his job "to protect the purest, most innocent thing that's come into the world."
"And it's your duty to be their role model," he continued. "You are going to be reflected in their choices later on in life, from who their partners are to how they carry themselves in the world."
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