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Strange thing about Bond villain casting....

fanbond123fanbond123
edited August 2012 in Bond Movies Posts: 1,661
Since B Broccoli and MG Wilson took over the franchise.... all of Pierce Brosnan's male Bond villains were British actors. All of Daniel Craig's male Bond villains are European actors.

Goldeneye - Sean Bean (British)
Tomorrow Never Dies - Jonathan Pryce (British)
The World Is Not Enough - Robert Carlyle (British)
Die Another Day - Toby Stephens (British)

Casino Royale - Mads Mikkelsen (Danish)
Quantum of Solace - Mathieu Amalric (French)
Skyfall - Javier Bardem (Spanish)

Is there any reason why Brosnan had British actors and Craig's having European actors? Strange, don't you think?

Comments

  • OnlyManWhoCanOnlyManWhoCan Greater London
    Posts: 202
    Interesting observation, there! Hadn't really considered it. Still, in TWINE Carlyle wasn't 'playing' British, and arguably the MAIN villain in that was French. I can't imagine it was a conscious decision, though. The talent is what matters ;)
  • fanbond123fanbond123
    edited August 2012 Posts: 1,661
    "I can't imagine it was a conscious decision, though."

    Hmm... I dunno. I feel there does seem to be a conscious decision to cast European actors as the bad guys in Craig's films. It can't be some weird coincidence.
  • OnlyManWhoCanOnlyManWhoCan Greater London
    Posts: 202
    Perhaps it is a conscious decision, in that many of Fleming's villains (all of them, I think, bar Goldfinger) were 'foreign.'

    If it *is* intentional, I think it would be so that foreign markets would be more interested in Bond. Being cast as a villain is the highest honor in a Bond film, next to playing Bond himself.

    Javier Bardem is a fantastic actor, and if the next movie has another European actor of the same calibre then you won't hear me complaining! :)
  • wildboonjivewildboonjive
    Posts: 299
    I don't think this is intentional at all. It is an interesting observation, but I don't think it was planned. I think they just look for good actors, particularly in the case of Bardem.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,473
    Very interesting observation, indeed.

    If they go the European route for 'Bond 24,' I would love to see Hugh Laurie in a villain role, now that he is done with 'House.'
  • licensetoforumlicensetoforum
    Posts: 371
    I would have thought Brosnan would have some big time, A List actors, since they seemed to be doing that with the Bond girls.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    Creasy47 wrote:
    Very interesting observation, indeed.

    If they go the European route for 'Bond 24,' I would love to see Hugh Laurie in a villain role, now that he is done with 'House.'

    Great choice. Like Christopher Walken he has those creepy eyes...
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,473
    @OHMSS69, that he does, and I would love seeing him with an English voice again, oddly enough. Some European actors just get caught in the American role for too long, and I forget who they are.
  • fassbonder007fassbonder007
    Posts: 126
    Cristoph Waltz would be good. If they ever get the rights to Blofeld back....
  • X3MSonicXX3MSonicX https://www.behance.net/gallery/86760163/Fa-Posteres-de-007-No-Time-To-Die
    Posts: 2,635
    Creasy47 wrote:
    Very interesting observation, indeed.

    If they go the European route for 'Bond 24,' I would love to see Hugh Laurie in a villain role, now that he is done with 'House.'

    I'd like to see him as Bond.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    No matter what he does, I'll always remember Laurie for Blackadder.



  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Perhaps it's purely coincidental, or just a move with the times. I hadn't really paid much attention to it, before it was brought to attention by the author. What really needs to be said on this, and the main focus for me, is that, regardless of nationality, recent main Bond adversaries, and henchpersons also, for the most part, have been pretty damn thin or lacklustre. When was the last time we had a truly great villain ?, Franz Sanchez comes to mind, and that was over 20 years ago. They've been largely insipid and forgettable for the most part in the meantime. Hard to argue

  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    Now, Hugh Laurie, would be a great Bond villian.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,473
    It's nice to see so many of you agree. He's pretty tall, has already played a character that could be conveyed as incredibly menacing, and if they're going for someone English, there you are.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    After seeing adverts for the Borgias on Sky Tv, i would still like to see Jeremy Irons as a villain too in a Bond movie.
  • fassbonder007fassbonder007
    Posts: 126
    Hugh's a geat actor.

    Olivia wilde would have been a great bond girl that's for sure...
  • RisicoRisico
    Posts: 97
    RogueAgent wrote:
    After seeing adverts for the Borgias on Sky Tv, i would still like to see Jeremy Irons as a villain too in a Bond movie.

    I've often thought Jeremy Irons would have made a great Alec Trevelyan back in '95.
  • LeChiffreLeChiffre
    Posts: 1,548
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Perhaps it's purely coincidental, or just a move with the times. I hadn't really paid much attention to it, before it was brought to attention by the author. What really needs to be said on this, and the main focus for me, is that, regardless of nationality, recent main Bond adversaries, and henchpersons also, for the most part, have been pretty damn thin or lacklustre. When was the last time we had a truly great villain ?, Franz Sanchez comes to mind, and that was over 20 years ago. They've been largely insipid and forgettable for the most part in the meantime. Hard to argue


    My namesake was pretty good!
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