Ben Whishaw, who has played tech wizard Q in the last three James Bond films, has said that he would like a gay actor to play the next 007.

The star made his Bond debut opposite Daniel Craig in 2012’s Skyfall, and features in the latest film No Time To Die.

• READ MORE: No Time To Die review: Daniel Craig’s surprisingly emotional final fling

Now that Craig has departed from the franchise a replacement must be found, and Whishaw believes that hiring a gay actor for the job would be “quite an extraordinary thing”.

“Of course, I would like to see that,” he told Attitude. “I really believe that we should be working towards a world where anyone can play anything and it would be really thrilling if it didn’t matter about someone’s sexuality to take on a role like this.”

He continued: “I think that would be real progress. But we’ll see, we’ll just see where we’re at. I’m amazed by how much has changed in the last five or six years, so we’ll see.”

Whishaw cited Luke Evans and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as “ideal” candidates for the part.

“They’re both wonderful and they’re both wonderful actors,” he said.

Whishaw took to the red carpet last night (September 28) with his co-stars for the premiere of No Time To Die.

Speaking at the event about his final appearance of Bond, Craig said: “I’m just so grateful for the fact that I got a chance to go and make one last one and it be this one and to finish telling the story.

“This has been a massive part of my life. I’m never not going to think about this, it’s been too big a thing in my life,” he told the PA.