Bond villain Michael Lonsdale campaigns for moratorium on embryo research

James Bond alumni Michael Lonsdale, who played villain Sir Hugo Drax in the 1979 record-breaking 007 adventure "Moonraker", today carried a heavy cardboard box with letters to every one of the 570 members of the French National Assembly asking for a moratorium on embryo research.

His ethical position in real life is the polar opposite to the character of Drax, who wanted to restart the human race from a pure genetic pool in space, after wiping out the planet's population.

During the last few weeks, over 11,000 people signed the online petition accompanying the letter. Lonsdale symbolically handed over one of the envelopes to Xavier Breton, a deputy from de Lyon region, who is heading a group of representatives trying to amend the law in order to ban all research on human embryos.

Lonsdale, who is known for his Christian commitment, said he participated in the event because he “believes in life.”

“Life is infinitely precious,” he said. “It is more and more exposed to modern research that is really mind-boggling. When you realize they are meddling with the very beginnings of life, it’s important to be very much alert. It’s a question of good life, of honest life, of life that is beautiful, and of not letting embryos to be exposed to God knows what manipulation. Because the Bad one is always present there.”

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