Naomie Harris, known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond franchise, has shared insights into her dedicated health and fitness regimen as she approaches her 50th birthday. Harris, who noted she was 'very unfit' before taking on the role in Skyfall in 2012, now prioritizes strength training and maintains a strong focus on her overall well-being.
Central to Harris's philosophy is the importance of sleep. "Without sleep, exercise is nothing," she stated. She elaborated in a 2020 interview with Women's Health, emphasizing that insufficient sleep, even with regular exercise, can be detrimental. "Sleeping is incredibly important – specifically good quality sleep," she said.
Her training incorporates specialized exercises such as Gyrotonic, a method combining elements of yoga, reformer Pilates, and tai chi, alongside swimming. The martial arts training she underwent for the Bond films, which included kickboxing and circuit training, also contributed to her agility and preparedness for action sequences. "You have to be very agile as well, swinging bags at people, fighting off the baddies and so on – to make it look believable yes you’ve got to be fit," she explained.
Harris has also adopted an unconventional approach to her diet, avoiding sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Instead of traditional breakfast items, she often consumes meals similar to what she would have for lunch. "I have a massive breakfast. I have the weirdest breakfast ever, everyone is always really weirded out by my breakfast," she told Women's Health. "Basically I don’t see any difference between breakfast and lunch. So I will have the same for lunch as I’d have for breakfast - I’ve had Shepherd’s pie in the morning. Or sometimes fried fish and vegetables."
She attributes this dietary habit partly to her Jamaican roots, where hearty morning meals like fried fish, plantain, callaloo, and stews are common. Harris acknowledged her genetic predisposition for a good metabolism but credits her work on the Bond films with inspiring a more serious commitment to health. She recounted a past experience with a raw-food diet that led to illness and anemia, prompting her to adopt a more balanced approach focused on vegetables and exercise.
Harris's dedication to health is also informed by a significant personal health challenge. At age 11, she was diagnosed with scoliosis and underwent surgery in her late teens, which involved removing a rib, deflating a lung, and spinal surgery. This traumatic experience led her to recognize the fragility of health and the importance of actively maintaining it from a young age. "Going through something so traumatic, I learned that my health is a very fragile gift," she said.