Stephen Merchant: 'I want to play Q in James Bond'

Stephen Merchant has said that he would relish playing Q in the James Bond movie series.

John Cleese most recently played the character, who was last seen in Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan.

Merchant told ShortList: "I've been angling for the role of Q in the James Bond films when John Cleese hangs up his boots. I could imagine doing that - a faintly comic role in a dramatic thing.

"But I can't imagine they'd cast me as a hard-bitten private eye with a drink problem and a failed marriage."

Merchant also revealed that he would like to play more dramatic characters in the future, explaining: "The Sopranos or Boardwalk Empire or The Wire - those are the things I admire the most. I'm not saying I could do anything as good as that, but I'd like to do something like that before I die. I always think of things in terms of 'before I die'."

"I don't think I've got the face and physique of a dramatic actor," he added. "I think I'm innately comical."

The 23rd 007 film will be called Skyfall, it was recently announced.

> James Bond girl Naomie Harris 'raring to go' on Skyfall

Watch the recent Skyfall press conference in full below: