Ben Starr Auditioned For James Bond In First Light, But He’s “So F**king Happy” He Didn’t Get it
Voice actor Ben Starr has revealed that he auditioned for the lead role of James Bond in the upcoming video game 007: First Light, but did not get the part. The role ultimately went to actor Patrick Gibson. Despite missing out on the role, Starr expressed relief and satisfaction with the outcome, stating he was “so f**king happy” he didn’t get it.
In an interview with VGC, Starr explained that he submitted a self-tape audition featuring a scene from the film GoldenEye, which led to a callback meeting with the production team. At the time, Starr was in his early years as an actor working on Final Fantasy XVI, which had not yet been released, and described himself as “just a young actor who liked video games.”
Despite earning a callback, Starr acknowledged that he struggled during the in-person meeting. He said he “kind of crumbled under the pressure” and failed to “deliver what they wanted.” Reflecting on his performance, Starr candidly assessed his audition attempt, saying “I never would have gotten it. I was terrible.”
Starr is best known for his voice acting roles in Final Fantasy XVI, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Hades 2. His transparency about the audition process and his self-aware humor regarding the rejection offers an interesting glimpse into the competitive nature of casting for high-profile video game projects.