She may have played Queen Elizabeth II and even won an Oscar for her performance in The Favourite, but there’s one career ambition Olivia Colman cannot hide her excitement about.

The former star of The Crown and all-round national treasure revealed in a new interview that there’s one franchise she’s still hoping to land a role in.

Speaking to British Vogue, she revealed she would love to play M, the iconic James Bond character that’s been played by the likes of Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes in the past.

“The amount of time I have wanted to be M. I’m not sure who I need to call…” Olivia said in a recent cover interview with British Vogue.

When the writer of the piece suggested she contact Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, Olivia replied: “I met her once. I wanted to go, ‘Can I be M?’ I must try to be cooler about it. Maybe she reads Vogue? Put that bit in.”

The Broadchurch star went on to explain that she’s less inclined to return to a stage role these days, having last performed in a theatre production back in 2017.

Instead, she said, she would prefer to focus on something little more action-packed.

“I have always wanted to walk in slow motion with an explosion behind me looking cool,” she said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Olivia explained why she’s not keen on long stints working away, which take her away from her three children.

“I love being at home. I rarely take jobs away,” she said, adding that she’s “trying to say no more often to have a bigger gap between jobs”.

Asked if she would say yes to a lead role in a Martin Scorsese film, she replied: “Can’t he come and do it in Norfolk?”

James Bond producer Barbara recently revealed that the franchise had a “big road ahead” before the next film, after Daniel Craig bid farewell to the career-defining role in 2021′s No Time To Die.

Earlier this month, she explained the reason for the hold-up, telling Variety that “it’ll take some time” before the team is ready to begin production.

“You know, it’s a whole new reinvention, so it’ll take some time,” she added.

As for who could play the next Bond, Barbie director Greta Gerwig thinks one of her Kens, Kingsley Ben-Adir, could be perfect. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page and James Norton are also among actors whose names have so far cropped up amidst casting predictions and rumours.

The December issue of British Vogue is available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 21 November. Read Olivia Colman’s full interview here.