Hannah Waddingham: Why the 'Ride or Die' Star Thinks Women Have "Other Things to Do" Than Play James Bond

Hannah Waddingham is making one thing crystal clear: she has absolutely no desire to step into James Bond's tuxedo. While attending a special screening for her new Prime Video action-comedy series Ride or Die on June 22 at London's Ham Yard Hotel, the 51-year-old actress shut down the long-running discourse about whether a woman should inherit the iconic 007 moniker.

"No! God no! No, this is my version of 007," Waddingham shared on the red carpet. The Ted Lasso alumnus, who has become synonymous with portraying fierce, unapologetic women, added with her signature wit: "A woman doesn't need to play James Bond, we've got other things to do."

For Waddingham, the true magic of storytelling isn't about stepping into a man’s shoes—it's about uncovering the raw, unfiltered reality of women on their own terms. When asked what continuously draws her to powerful female roles, she explained that it always comes down to what happens when the cameras stop rolling on their public personas.

"It’s their truth, it’s who they are in the quiet, that’s what gets me first," Waddingham explained. "My interest is piqued by who they are when they're alone, and the foibles and the fears and the aspirations they have when they're alone."

Inside Her New "Dream Role" Alongside Octavia Spencer

Instead of chasing Hollywood's existing male-dominated franchises, Waddingham is busy carving out her own action-packed empire. In Ride or Die, which officially premieres on Prime Video on July 15, she takes on the role of Judith Burton, a woman masterfully navigating a high-stakes double life as a professional assassin. Naturally, things take a delightfully chaotic turn when her unsuspecting best friend gets tangled up in the international madness.

The highly anticipated series pairs Waddingham with Oscar winner Octavia Spencer, 56, and the onscreen chemistry was born from an instant, real-life mutual admiration. Speaking about the project earlier this month, Spencer recalled being completely captivated by the original pitch from series creator Tessa Coates.

“It was such an amazing pitch," Spencer said. "I've heard hundreds of pitches throughout my career and none like that one. It just had you spellbound, on the edge of your seat. I loved that it was centered around two women — two women of a certain age, two brilliant, highly capable women — doing action and comedy. And the show had a lot of heart.”

The pitch was so undeniable that Spencer bypassed Hollywood’s usual red tape altogether. “As soon as she finished giving the pitch, I said, ‘Well, my agents are going to be upset, but I'm in,' " Spencer laughed.

Waddingham was just as stunned when the project landed in her inbox, though she admits she suffered from a bit of imposter syndrome at first. “I just went, ‘Oh my God, whoever gets to play this character opposite Octavia is getting a dream role,' " Waddingham recalled. "I said, ‘What, do you want me to advise on casting? Why am I on this call?' And they said, ‘We want you to do it, you dummy.' "

The hilarious misunderstanding quickly became an inside joke on set. “It made Tessa and Octavia laugh because that's exactly what Octavia had done,” Waddingham added. “Neither of us had gone through the correct channels with our teams. We just knew immediately.”

A Late-Blooming Hollywood Powerhouse

Waddingham’s current reign as one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading ladies is a testament to patience, grit, and undeniable talent. Raised in a musical family—her mother was an opera singer—the 6-foot-tall British star initially built an illustrious career on the theater stages of London’s West End and New York’s Broadway, earning multiple Olivier Award nominations. Yet, mainstream television was notoriously slow to recognize her screen-queen potential.

For years, global audiences knew her primarily for brief, supporting, or villainous turns. Her most famous pre-Ted Lasso moment came as Septa Unella, the stern, bell-ringing nun who chanted "Shame!" at a naked Cersei Lannister in HBO’s mega-hit Game of Thrones. While the moment became an immortal internet meme, it kept Waddingham pigeonholed as a character actress rather than a leading lady.

Everything changed when she was cast as Rebecca Welton, the fierce, glamorous, yet deeply vulnerable football club owner in Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso. The role catapulted her to global superstardom in her mid-40s—a time when Hollywood historically begins to overlook female talent. Winning a Primetime Emmy Award for the role, Waddingham shattered ageist industry standards, proving that a woman's prime is precisely whenever she decides it is. Since then, she has transitioned seamlessly to the big screen, sharing scenes with Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy and landing a highly anticipated role in the upcoming Mission: Impossible installment.

Balancing Heartbreak, Single Motherhood, and a New Red Carpet Romance

Behind the glamour and the accolades, Waddingham’s personal journey has required every bit of the strength she displays on screen. For over a decade, she was in a long-term relationship with Italian hotel manager Gianluca Cugnetto. The former couple welcomed their daughter, Kitty, in 2016. Waddingham has frequently spoken about how Kitty is the absolute center of her universe, but her road as a mother was met with profound worry when Kitty was diagnosed with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), a rare autoimmune disease, as a toddler.

The stress of navigating her daughter's health struggles coincided with the painful dissolution of her relationship with Cugnetto. Following the split, Waddingham embraced the realities of being a working single mother, intentionally prioritizing jobs that would allow her to remain close to her daughter. It was her fierce devotion to Kitty that ultimately influenced her decision to stick with projects that kept her rooted near home, proving that her most important role will always be mom.

Fortunately, life at 51 is bringing Waddingham a beautiful, well-deserved second act in her romantic life.

During the June 22 Ride or Die red carpet, the actress was joined by her handsome boyfriend, Nick Beresford-Cleary. The couple, who successfully kept their early days out of the spotlight, made their very first public debut at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2026. They later solidified their status as a red-carpet couple at Variety’s Power of Women: London event on June 3. As Waddingham gears up for the July 15 premiere of Ride or Die, she is flying higher than ever. With a thriving career, a beautiful family, and a supportive partner by her side, she is living proof that women don't need to inherit old cinematic mantles like James Bond to be the ultimate heroes of their own stories.