Who Is Jack Barton, The Heartstopper Star Now The Favourite To Play James Bond?

After years of speculation, the race to cast the next James Bond is getting serious.

Last week, a new batch of actors was reported to be among the frontrunners to land the role of 007, including Jacob Elordi, Jack Lowden and Paul Mescal.

But one of them in particular is reportedly the new favourite to become Daniel Craig’s successor.

Jack Barton might not be a household name just yet, but he is rumoured to have impressed casting director Nina Gold so much that Page Six named him as “The One”.

With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about Jack Barton’s career – and why he could well make the perfect James Bond…

Producer Amy Pascal recently opened up to Deadline about the qualities the team behind the franchise are looking for in their next 007.

“It’s got to be something really different that is… stirring and exciting and different,” she claimed.

Despite actors like Harris Dickinson, Idris Elba and James Norton being attached to the role in recent years, long-time Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams also told The Independent in June that she believes the lead in the long-awaited 26th 007 movie should be a “total enigma”.

“I don’t want to see any of [the rumoured stars] as Bond because we now know so much about them,” Debbie told the outlet.

“We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are. We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives.”

Graduating from the Oxford School of Drama in 2018, Jack’s first role was in Netflix’s coming-of-age fantasy The Letter For The King.

Adapted from the classic 1962 Dutch novel of the same name by Tonke Dragt, the show followed a young, aspiring knight embarking on a dangerous mission to deliver a secret letter to the king.

Jack played Foldo, a swordsman who travelled with Amir Wilson’s young knight on the journey through the Great Mountains.

Interestingly, until recently, Jack had only one movie credit to his name, but it was a Hollywood project made by one of the coolest filmmakers, Yorgos Lanthimos, and featuring an Oscar-winning Emma Stone performance.

Jack had a minor role in Poor Things, which follows Emma Stone’s Bella, who is brought back to life when an unorthodox scientist plants the brain of an infant into her adult body.

He is credited as Fop 1, which is another word for a gentleman concerned with his appearance. Jack can be seen in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, sitting down watching the scientific experiments.

The quirky drama was a huge hit, winning four Oscars, two Golden Globes and five Baftas and making numerous Best Of 2023 lists.

After making his TV debut in The Letter For The King, Jack went on to have minor roles in Grantchester and The Pursuit Of Love.

When the BBC adapted HG Wells’ science fiction epic War Of The Worlds for the small screen, Jack landed a recurring role in its third season as Hiram.

More recently, in 2025, he had a minor role in the Anne Rice adaptation Talamasca: The Secret Order, where he played law associate Osterhaus.

Jack’s breakout role came when he was cast as David Nelson, Nick’s older brother, in five episodes of the popular Netflix series, Heartstopper.

His character takes pleasure in bullying his brother, played by Kit Connor, and prying into Nick’s private business.

But the character also has hidden depths, as it is revealed that some of his nasty traits stem from seeking validation from his absent father.

He reprised this role in this year’s Netflix movie, Heartstopper Forever, and which allowed him to showcase some of his more serious acting abilities.

While he played an antagonist, Jack called the role a “real privilege” thanks to the positive feedback he received from Heartstopper fans.

“Even as the detestable older brother I received countless messages about how it had helped people and how much it meant to them,” he told The Real Magazine in January 2025.

If Jack Barton is Bond, it’s likely his appearance in BBC drama SAS: Rogue Heroes that caught the Bond’s casting team’s eye.

The actor played Lieutenant John Eliot Tonkin in season two of the Steven Knight-created and penned show – and it’s probably worth noting that Steven is also writing the new Bond film.

Based on the real-life origins of the British Army Special Air Service (SAS) during World War II, Jack’s character had to make a dramatic escape after being captured by the Nazis and receiving an execution order.

This role more than proves that Jack can handle the dramatic acting and the physical skills required to play Ian Fleming’s famous spy character.

When speaking about what he was looking forward to doing in the future as recently as January 2025, he told Numero Netherlands that he’d “go wherever the wind takes me”.

And then he gave an answer which either meant he had an inkling about his future… or has fantastic clairvoyance powers.

“Right now, this is a lovely little wave I’m riding but who knows where life goes next. That’s all part of the adventure. But if you’re looking for a short answer – I hear Bond is up for grabs…?” he joked.

He also opened up about exactly what draws him into a project, hinting at his future in the industry.

“I think I have to read the script to really know,” he said. “It’s also about taste, I think – I love film, TV, and art, so as I grow, I get a better sense of my taste. That helps me decide on projects.”

Speaking to The Real, he admitted there was pressure now that he had started to make a name for himself.

“There’s a bit of added pressure knowing that lots of people are waiting to see what’s next… and hopefully we managed to keep them interested,” he said last year.

Producer Amy Pascal recently revealed that the role will be announced sometime in the next five months.

“I would say the end of the year is a good bet,” she hinted to Deadline last month, acknowledging that she and her team are having to be “really, really methodical” given that “Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow”.