Is Clive Owen too old to play James Bond?

Clive Owen says the time has passed for him to play James Bond. Photo / Getty

Clive Owen fears the time has passed for him to play James Bond, because he's too old.

The British actor's name was in the mix for 007 when Daniel Craig landed the role just over a decade ago.

Craig has since played Bond in four movies and reports suggest he's ready to hand over his licence to kill credentials to a new man.

Idris Elba and Damian Lewis appear to be the new fan favourites for the role, and Owen tells WENN he's not surprised his name is no longer on a wishlist.

"I've never really seen it as a possibility," he said. "I'm still far too old! I'm very happy to be doing what I'm doing."

That includes cult TV series The Knick and new movie The Confirmation, for which he had to tackle an American accent to play an alcoholic carpenter.

Owen admits he has wrestled with accents and dialects in the past and has come to realise his peers, who refuse to leave their characters on set while filming, had the right idea.

"Staying in an accent is something over the years I've learned and developed," he revealed.

"I used to think it was really pretentious when people did that, but actually it's quite important for rhythm and tone; to switch in and out and to turn it on and off can start to get really difficult.

"It's not just the accent. It's the tone and feel of the part you're playing and the environment you're in, so I got over my shyness of doing that and realised it was part of the job and a necessary thing."

- AAP