WHEN it comes to the question of who will follow Daniel Craig as James Bond, the jury’s still out.

While veering towards Idris Elba or Tom Hiddleston, it’s hard to discount contenders Damian Lewis, James Norton and Aidan Turner.

Whoever gets the slick suits and unlimited deadly gadgets, one thing lost in the current debate is who will be the next Bond villain?

It may be that he (or she) is No.1 hate figure for the duration of one film, but it’s a pivotal role and in all the fuss surrounding Hiddleston, one actor not in the spotlight is his co-star in The Night Manager, Hugh Laurie.

Now, for me, Hugh was almost more memorable in that series than Hiddleston himself. It’s now almost impossible to see him in Blackadder as bumbling Prince George as the role of the coolly deadly Richard Roper in The Night Manager eclipses everything.

Laurie was fascinating in this role – unpredictable, evil and, yes, charismatic. In fact, the ideal Bond villain. Get that man signed up!