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Was he, or did they go with him because Brosnan was tied up with Remington Steele?
Interesting, I’ve always been of the belief that ever since meeting him on the set of FYEO, Cubby had his sights set on Pierce as Moore’s replacement. His success on Remington Steele reinforced this. When Brosnan was unavailable they went with another longtime contender, Dalton.
Yeah that is the official line but I’ve always found it a bit dubious. Personally I think Brosnan was the one they were after.
Cubby wanted Dalton as Bond in his Sleep....he wanted Dalton forever, but concluded Brosnan was the next best thing, since he got turned down by Dalton several times.
I just don't get how you can arrive at this opinion. Haha. Just goes to show how diverse our reactions can be. For me, it's the Craig films that don't feel very Bondian.
Cubby needed persuading to go with Brosnan.
Exactly this @FatherValentine
Yeah, it's hard to know. We've heard Brosnan recall the story numerous times but I don't think we've ever heard it from Dalton, have we? Perhaps it's because he has nothing to say on it and Brosnan was the guy originally! Anyway, interesting.
Also @JeremyBondon, I think you double quoted by accident...
These are the criteria that I look for in the man who could be a Bond actor in order of importance:
1. Charisma / "it" factor / /alpha male / presence (call it what you will)
2. Physically attractive to the opposite sex (could be included in 1)
3. Believable that they cold do the physical side of the job (height / stature etc)
4. acting ability - can he portray a British, tough, sexy secret agent
5. Nationality - preferably British / Irish / Commonwealth in that order
I put nationality down rather than race specifically. The role should go to whoever scores best in those areas. I don't think we should ever be looking speifially for a "Black Bond" rather it should go to whoever best fits the requirements and if that person is of a different ethnicity, so be it!
Obviously this is a personal opinion and I am probably biased in that for cinematic Bond we are basically comparing everyone to Connery who is at the top scoring wise in all of those categories. Everyone else who has played it since then has come up short in one or two of the criteria.
I think the thing we are struggling with most these days is to find someone who has number 1 above (It factor / Alpha male) as lots of the suggestions score pretty well in most of the other categories but I am yet to see the person who truly embodies what Bond represents.
Hopefully he is somewhere coming up on the radar soo for Bond 26!
Funnily enough he is one of the few I think that gets close on the "it" factor but is too slight and short I think personally. A few years ago he would have been a definite no but he showed he could be an alpha male in Peaky Blinders. Again, in a perfect world if he was 6ft plus then apart form being too old he would be an interesting choice with a bit of bulking up.
My friends too are telling me Robert Pattinson won't be able to pull off Batman...simply because he played a Romantic Vampire, so they just can't see Batman in Pattinson.
Fleming himself initially didn't believe in Connery....It seems Dark horses usually excel.
Fir point although I am also one of the few who sees potential in Callum Turner. If you merge the roles in Capture and Fantastic beasts I think it hsows he could do it in a few years but needs a breakout role to show the "it" factor.
Nice to have another Advocate for Callum...Yeah, but the breakthrough role could be tricky. Coz once a Big film or franchise picks Callum, that's the end. Just like fans who wanted Pattinson as Bond.
Not that I wanted Henry Cavill to be less famous up until this point....but if Cavill wasn't Superman today & 'The Man From Uncle' was his only Big film to date, based on that performance & the fact that he was second to Craig in 2005, am sure it would almost be certain that Cavill would be Bond after Craig.
It’s a main reason why I don’t think “breakout performances” aren’t as necessary as you’d think, because their time to prove themselves is in the audition room, not prior. I know they need to prove themselves somewhat beforehand to get the audition, but again I don’t think that requires a “breakout”. Didn’t Cavill audition for Casino Royale? He wasn’t a breakout back then.
And @JeremyBondon i think it’s safe to say his attractive is subjective, and a lot of people find him quite handsome, myself included. His role in one of his last films, Emma, was literally the handsome suitor.
In the Some Kind Of Hero book there's a quote from Dalton from the contemporaneous TLD EPK where he says he met with the Broccolis for drinks in 'spring '86' to discuss it but he wasn't free because he had West End commitments. According to the 'Making of TLD' book, they had been testing actors in early '86, around February, and Remington Steel was cancelled in May, and it seems that Brosnan was pretty much cast around this time. NBC picked up the option to start shooting Remington Steel again in the middle of July; Dalton's screentest for Bond is described as happening in the 'summer' after they'd offered to move the scheduling around to allow him to shoot Brenda Starr.
So the idea that he was first choice (as the documentary on the DVD pretty much lays out) is maybe stretching it a bit I think: he was favoured for a long time (famously twice before) and they certainly wanted to have him as one of the candidates, but there doesn't seem to be much to say that he was ever offered the role before Brosnan had it.
Yeah I'd go with that. I would probably throw comic ability in there too, just to make it even harder!
:)
Indeed, and I think it's right to say that they haven't cast anyone who hasn't played a lead or co-lead in a movie before (and when they don't follow that rule it hasn't worked out). They might take a gamble with what's seen as being 'proper' Bond looks, but I don't think they'll gamble on a totally unproven star.
Yes, I guess it's possible. I was just left a bit cold by his turn in The Capture though: I feel like that was an opportunity to do some screen-filling simmering but he just didn't leave much of an impression. Maybe he'll do something amazing, you can certainly say that Craig did a few trashy movies where he's pretty forgettable too.
Strange. I do not find him handsome one bit, but yeah it is subjective. He looks nerdy/geeky to me. Certainly not alpha(ish)
I think he's Good-looking and Dandy....And I don't think he'll get the same bashing like Craig got back in 2005, if chosen....but look how Craig looks the part today.
And in fairness to your opinion, I see what you’re saying, but from someone whose been aptly following his career since the E4 show Glue, I must say the way he carries himself and just who is he as an actor I think would be exciting and fresh move for the franchise, while also more honorary to the original character Fleming created in terms of his more classic, English gentleman look.
Although maybe I’ve spoilt his chances by mentioning him so much haha :D
I also did a bit of fan art for those interested haha :)
All jokes aside, I don’t see him in any way as Bond, even if I squint.
The pic @JeremyBondon posted reminds me of a friend that lived down the street from me when I was 12.
I can see where people are going with the suggestion, in a sort of hoagy carmichael way, or Clive Owens, but he still misses that mark IMO.
And fair play @NickTwentyTwo
Am sure most people don't remember Craig is Blonde anymore, because of how good he has been.
I really don't like his face. No matter how many times people tell me he's attractive, I don't see it. And I don't think he looks like a classic English gentleman at all. I may well be prejudiced because of the rather unsympathetic roles I've seen him play, but whilst those in Callum's corner are totally right to point out he is often picked for 'handsome' roles, I will point out that he is often given roles where the audience isn't supposed to be rooting for him: in Emma he's not the romantic lead, he's the cad; in Fantastic Beasts he's the overbearing older brother; in War & Peace he's an incestuous cad; and in The Capture he's the guy the audience isn't sure they should be rooting for.
The casting agents must know he's got an alpha-male (if I may use the term, I know many feel it is outdated) quality, but a slightly unlikeable quality as well. He's kind of on the cusp. We have seen actors cross from one side to the other, it is possible, but it's definitely a hurdle for him to overcome, imo. At the moment, judging by this forum, he's a marmite choice.
I'm by no means trying to shut down people putting him forward, just putting a counterpoint to those saying how right he is for the role. I'm just not won over at all yet.