James Norton discussed the role of a “modern man” especially in the post-MeToo movement world. The actor revealed how his character in an upcoming series broke a norm surrounding men!
James Norton claims that men shouldn’t be “passive” during female-centric cultural shifts like the MeToo movement. In an interview with Radio Times magazine, the Happy Valley actor, who has been eyed for the role of the next James Bond, shared his take on societal constructs.
Norton believes that modern men are living in a time where there is an attempt to “rebalance the patriarchal crimes of the past.” However, he feels that men’s roles in this process have often been inactive. The actor argues that some men wrongly believe they should be “passive” about misconduct, while instead, they should take a more active role in the post-MeToo world.
“With a lot of men, there’s a misconception that what we should be doing is making space, stepping back, and almost becoming passive,” he told the outlet while promoting his upcoming ITV series Playing Nice.
The show revolves around two couples who realize that their toddlers were switched at birth in an accidental mix-up at the hospital. The actor says the thought of men’s roles during global feminist movements came to his mind while preparing for his character, who is placed in a similarly challenging situation in the series.https://www.youtube.com/embed/YinqO2PZks8
Norton’s character Pete experiences an epiphany, leading him to confront the bullying and controlling behavior of Miles (played by James McArdle). “You have to be proactive and, sometimes, confrontational,” he added.
According to the show’s official synopsis: “Set against a sweeping Cornish landscape, two couples discover their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up and face a horrifying dilemma: do they keep the sons they have raised and loved, or reclaim their biological child?” The highly anticipated series will start airing on ITV from 5th January 2025.
During the interview, Norton was asked the golden question that has been buzzing around for quite some time: Is he going to be the next James Bond? Although the actor has never blatantly denied the rumor, there has been nothing concrete about the speculation since last year. “It’s lots of quite fun and bemusing media coverage,” Norton said in an interview with Variety.
