Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

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    Welcome. He's not a bad pick; I've only seen him in Hunger Games so he hasn't struck me as particularly "Bond".
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,834
    Claflin and Callum Turner have been my top two for a while now. He'd be great.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 686
    Last year Stark posted virtually the same thing:
    Stark wrote: »
    Guys I just saw Last Night in Soho and it's amazing how Sam Clafin looks like the Bond I imagine (and he plays extremely well in his scene)

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    I think he's been a fairly popular pick around here for a while, but unfortunately as Creasy47 says, he's probably just aged out of Eon's target range.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    It's crazy how many possibly brilliant candidates we've missed out on over the years due to the timing of one era ending and the next beginning.
  • TheSkyfallen06TheSkyfallen06 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    edited October 2022 Posts: 975
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Sadly, he'll be almost 40 by the time they start production, I'd imagine.
    I mean, when Roger started in LALD he was 46, When Dalton started in TLD he was 43, and when Brosnan started in GE he was 42, so The age shouldn't be a problem.

  • SmilionSmilion Slovenia
    edited October 2022 Posts: 7
    Still three years younger than Tuner or Cavill that are mentioned here quite often, although you are probably right.

    However, you never know, with latest comments from Wilson suggesting that they won't go young young and that Bond still needs to be a veteran, most of the actors in their late 20s or early 30s, just look to boyish, at least in my opinion, to somehow pass as army or SAS veterans.

    Even if we are looking at 2024 start of shooting for late 2025 release, that's just two years away.
    Also people really do age differently (or less to say so), and most actors born in early 90s don't look 'manly' enough. Just IMO, of course.



  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    edited October 2022 Posts: 1,419
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

    e308913afaf3033304aa80e8ab26dfad7ca4ace6.gif

    edf8957d141c192368cafc69edd761daef081c23.gifv

    eea90c4397ca03386dc525d2abeb16ead38caaab.gif


    I like this suggestion, but I don't see any warmth in his presence, which I get some level of from every Bond actor so far. He's too close to Gustav Graves, maybe. Too perfect. His eyebrow raise is admirable but at the same time seems too calculated, cold, and it's not an expression like Connery or Moore made it, it's just a punctuation mark in the provided example. It doesn't really say anything.

    But we could do a lot worse.
  • JeremyBondonJeremyBondon Seeking out odd jobs with Oddjob @Tangier
    Posts: 1,318
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

    e308913afaf3033304aa80e8ab26dfad7ca4ace6.gif

    edf8957d141c192368cafc69edd761daef081c23.gifv

    eea90c4397ca03386dc525d2abeb16ead38caaab.gif


    After Craig I certainly wouldn't be against him.
  • CharmianBondCharmianBond Pett Bottom, Kent
    Posts: 533
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

    e308913afaf3033304aa80e8ab26dfad7ca4ace6.gif

    edf8957d141c192368cafc69edd761daef081c23.gifv

    eea90c4397ca03386dc525d2abeb16ead38caaab.gif


    I like this suggestion, but I don't see any warmth in his presence, which I get some level of from every Bond actor so far. He's too close to Gustav Graves, maybe. Too perfect. His eyebrow raise is admirable but at the same time seems too calculated, cold, and it's not an expression like Connery or Moore made it, it's just a punctuation mark in the provided example. It doesn't really say anything.

    But we could do a lot worse.

    I rather like that though, the coldness being closer to Fleming's Bond. But you're right the cinematic Bonds have a warmth to them. Without trying to spoil LNiS his character is meant to be shady in this scene, I'm sure he could bring that warmth in a proper eyebrow raise, not that that ever discounted Craig. Claflin's been on the top of my shortlist since this film but I hadn't realised he was that old, which I realise isn't that old, but I've been looking at 30 year olds just because of 'the inevitability of time'.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 1,282
    Barbara's Goldeneye would do the trick again, we hope. She looks hard at Bond candidates.
  • .
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

    e308913afaf3033304aa80e8ab26dfad7ca4ace6.gif

    edf8957d141c192368cafc69edd761daef081c23.gifv

    eea90c4397ca03386dc525d2abeb16ead38caaab.gif


    After Craig I certainly wouldn't be against him.

    Omfg did you just praise another candidate?
  • JeremyBondonJeremyBondon Seeking out odd jobs with Oddjob @Tangier
    edited October 2022 Posts: 1,318
    .
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

    e308913afaf3033304aa80e8ab26dfad7ca4ace6.gif

    edf8957d141c192368cafc69edd761daef081c23.gifv

    eea90c4397ca03386dc525d2abeb16ead38caaab.gif


    After Craig I certainly wouldn't be against him.

    Omfg did you just praise another candidate?

    If you would have paid attention in this thread then you would have noticed I have been open to and positive about at least 4 other candidates ;) It's just that Turner is my frontrunner and has been for about 6 years.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Sadly, he'll be almost 40 by the time they start production, I'd imagine.
    I mean, when Roger started in LALD he was 46, When Dalton started in TLD he was 43, and when Brosnan started in GE he was 42, so The age shouldn't be a problem.

    It shouldn't but A, they've said they're looking for someone in their early 30s, and B, at the rate they make these movies these days, there's not much point casting someone who's only going to be around for 2-3 installments max.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    edited October 2022 Posts: 7,889
    I’ve read 30’s but has it ever been actually stated early 30’s?
  • edited October 2022 Posts: 2,742
    To be fair, Clafin's only 36 at the moment, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. Honestly, I know that the rumours are hinting towards a Bond in their early 30s, but I do think should a candidate come along who inspires the producers and they happen to be, say 38-39 (so much like the situation with Craig) as opposed to 34, they'll go for them. Same can be applied to height. There's a bit of leeway they can work with.

    That said, my issue with Clafin is pretty much what was said by others. I don't feel he quite has that sense of warmth or something inherently 'relatable' about him as an actor that would make him work as Bond. I can see why another user said it's easier to imagine him as a Gustav Graves-esque villain. The Bond actors are handsome, but not always in a necessarily conventional sense. The closest were Brosnan and Lazenby, but of course the likes of Craig and Connery had their distinctive features and perhaps 'rough around the edges' quality. This was the case with Dalton too I'd argue, and even Moore had his facial mole, light hair, strange eyebrow raises, but mixed with a rather warm presence which made him quite watchable and influenced how his Bond was written.

    For all our talk about jawlines and smiles over the course of this thread, I do wonder if these little 'imperfections' with an actor are what actually separates them from the likes of Clafin who are, let's be honest rather handsome, but might not be as relatable for the viewer when asked to play a character like Bond.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 686
    talos7 wrote: »
    I’ve read 30’s but has it ever been actually stated early 30’s?

    No, but some entertainment news outlets have jumped to that conclusion.

    From Dark Horizons:
    Wilson made it clear to Deadline they will never cast a twentysomething actor in the role of Bond because that’s not the character:

    “We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualize it doesn’t work. Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. He’s probably been in the SAS or something. He isn’t some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. That’s why it works for a 30-something.”

    As we know from previous talk by fellow producer Barbara Broccoli, whoever is hired is expected to be in the role for a minimum of ten years, with the hired actor not expected to be getting to work for at least two or three years.

    The restrictions suggest the producers are looking for someone who would be no younger than 28/29 and no older than about 35/36 right now to be in that thirty-something sweet spot for their first Bond effort.

    Bond Producer Talks 007 Age Requirement
  • edited October 2022 Posts: 2,742
    It'd be funny if the next Bond was, in fact, played by an actor of about 27, but one who managed to project that sense of having gone 'through the wars'. It'd be like an inverse of the CR situation with Craig, the producers initially wanting to go for an actor of an older age, but picking and ultimately rewriting the script to accommodate a younger one.

    Again, there's some leeway for these things, and I doubt there are any strict age or even height restrictions when it comes to casting Bond.
  • Posts: 1,545
    .
    Smilion wrote: »
    To get back to the thread.

    Was just watching Late Night in Soho again and Sam Claflin caught my eye. He has the looks, is about the right age and has already shown some good acting chops (Peaky Blinders, Adrift, The Riot Club, Me Before You), and has also starred in some franchises (Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enola Holmes). He has the experience but might still be relatively unknown to general public.

    e308913afaf3033304aa80e8ab26dfad7ca4ace6.gif

    edf8957d141c192368cafc69edd761daef081c23.gifv

    eea90c4397ca03386dc525d2abeb16ead38caaab.gif


    After Craig I certainly wouldn't be against him.

    Omfg did you just praise another candidate?

    If you would have paid attention in this thread then you would have noticed I have been open to and positive about at least 4 other candidates ;) It's just that Turner is my frontrunner and has been for about 6 years.

    Turner ? Turner who ?
    haha...just kidding
  • Posts: 1,545
    007HallY wrote: »
    It'd be funny if the next Bond was, in fact, played by an actor of about 27, but one who managed to project that sense of having gone 'through the wars'. It'd be like an inverse of the CR situation with Craig, the producers initially wanting to go for an actor of an older age, but picking and ultimately rewriting the script to accommodate a younger one.

    Again, there's some leeway for these things, and I doubt there are any strict age or even height restrictions when it comes to casting Bond.

    Someone in their twenties, with the right look, could work. It is not like Bond in the books and early films having been old enough and WWII having been recent enough that he could be a veteran. People in WWII matured very quickly, and rose through the ranks more quickly than in peacetime. However - there's always something going on, even in "peacetime" - and so a young Bond can be attributed significant combat experience - as was done with Craig's Bond. But they can't look like a kid.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited October 2022 Posts: 2,895
    Good call likening Sam Claflin to Graves - I can see that. For Bond, I'm not sure that he's got the requisite, I dunno, 'heft'. Not seen Claflin in much, to be fair, so I don't have a grasp of his range but even in The Nightingale, where he played an out-and-out villain, there didn't seem to be that weight behind him. He seemed ruthless but not formidable, if that makes sense? I like Bond to project the proverbial 'dangerous man who has it under control' aspect. Connery, Laz, Dalton, Craig all had that. Someone like Jason Isaacs had it. I'm not sure I've seen it in most of the current candidates we've discussed, though.
  • edited October 2022 Posts: 2,742
    Since62 wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It'd be funny if the next Bond was, in fact, played by an actor of about 27, but one who managed to project that sense of having gone 'through the wars'. It'd be like an inverse of the CR situation with Craig, the producers initially wanting to go for an actor of an older age, but picking and ultimately rewriting the script to accommodate a younger one.

    Again, there's some leeway for these things, and I doubt there are any strict age or even height restrictions when it comes to casting Bond.

    Someone in their twenties, with the right look, could work. It is not like Bond in the books and early films having been old enough and WWII having been recent enough that he could be a veteran. People in WWII matured very quickly, and rose through the ranks more quickly than in peacetime. However - there's always something going on, even in "peacetime" - and so a young Bond can be attributed significant combat experience - as was done with Craig's Bond. But they can't look like a kid.

    They can't indeed, and it's why I'm sure some good candidates will be dismissed even if they're maybe 10 years away from potentially being great Bonds. That said I can imagine them slightly rewriting a script if that 27 year old comes along with that world weary demeanour. Nothing major, just leaning a bit more into the idea that this Bond is perhaps a bit of an overachiever in the Service.
  • Posts: 15,785
    I don't think Barbara and Michael have an exact age rule as long as the Bond actor appears to be a veteren. That could be 31 like Connery or 42 like Brosnan.
    That said, considering they're hoping for a ten year commitment, perhaps they are planning to increase the productivity once Bond is recast?

    Sam Claffin looks great in those shots, IMO.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,889
    If we’re to do an age scale for a potential Bond actor, somewhat like a blood test result, it would range from 27 to 42. The high and low ages would be red for less likely , then moving inward would change to orange then green , with green being the prime from 32 to 36.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 686
    They've said they're going to be looking for an actor that is 30-something. Surely that means that the casting call will be for an actor in that bracket.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,889
    They've said they're going to be looking for an actor that is 30-something. Surely that means that the casting call will be for an actor in that bracket.

    True, but there are no absolutes; there is flexibility if someone outside of that bracket is an exceptional standout.

  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 2,895
    Yes, exactly, there'll be flexibility - if the best candidate was 39, they wouldn't pass him over for a second-best 36-year-old, surely?
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 686
    My point was, if they are only asking for auditions from candidates in their thirties, they are not going to see any auditions, no matter how outstanding, of actors younger or older than that. That is the point of having an age range.
  • Posts: 2,742
    They've said they're going to be looking for an actor that is 30-something. Surely that means that the casting call will be for an actor in that bracket.

    I think the process will more likely consist of looking specifically at films/tv shows/theatre made in the past 5 years, looking at actors they like, conferring with a casting agent, and then organising auditions for a group of, say, 30. I don't think age or height restrictions apply in that context but are more guidelines for what they want.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    edited October 2022 Posts: 7,889
    The character is in his 30’s, that doesn’t mean the actor has to be. Go find a photo of a 40 to 45 year old Ton Cruise; he could have still played a character in their 20’s.
  • Posts: 1,545
    Venutius wrote: »
    Yes, exactly, there'll be flexibility - if the best candidate was 39, they wouldn't pass him over for a second-best 36-year-old, surely?

    Definitely not. And stop calling me "Shirley."
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