Clive Owen: I'm too old to play 007

London: British actor Clive Owen fears the time has passed for him to play James Bond, because he is too old.

The 51-year-old 'Children of Men' star's name was in the mix for 007 when Daniel Craig landed the role of the superspy just over a decade ago.

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

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

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

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.