Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited November 2023 Posts: 5,970
    I think another element that would work for him is the consensus that general audiences would be happy with him in the role. When the rumour came out, I remember Twitter being overwhelmingly positive. I think most of the hesitancy comes from fans, but I think fans are always going to be hesitant they actually see the actor in the final product.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,193
    Great physicality, voice and very charismatic ...




  • Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,193
    Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.

    Lowden would be a much better pick.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    @talos7 Suter is my top choice too. I really believe he ticks all the boxes, accomplished actor, not too famous, voice, physicality, charisma and despite his young age I think he has the "gravitas to play Bond"
    Great suggestion mate
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited November 2023 Posts: 5,970
    talos7 wrote: »
    Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.

    Lowden would be a much better pick.
    I really enjoy Jack Lowden as an actor. I'm particularly a big fan of Slow Horses, but I struggle to seem him as James Bond. I just don't know if he's a good fit visually - but you never know. I could be proven wrong if he does indeed get the chance.
  • Posts: 4,067
    Sutter’s another one who gives me similar vibes to Henry Cavill. There’s just something a bit too conventional about him for Bond, and I don’t personally see anything that makes him stand out. As usual that’s nothing against him, and I’m happy to be wrong (I tend to be drawn to more left field candidates anyway).
    talos7 wrote: »
    Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.

    Lowden would be a much better pick.

    I don’t know what it is about Lowden but I’ve gone off him. He’s another good character actor but I think for Bond he just lacks something.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,193
    Conventional need not be a negative; I can understand wanting to think outside of the box, but sometimes the conventional can be the right thing to do.

    Godzilla Minus One has received overwhelmingly positive reactions; in large part for returning to the roots of the character. Reinventing the wheel is not always needed.
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Being chauffeured by Tibbett
    Posts: 666
    I know we've mentioned gravitas as a necessary quality more than a few times in this thread, but I'm curious about what exactly we mean?
  • edited November 2023 Posts: 4,067
    talos7 wrote: »
    Conventional need not be a negative; I can understand wanting to think outside of the box, but sometimes the conventional can be the right thing to do.

    Godzilla Minus One has received overwhelmingly positive reactions; in large part for returning to the roots of the character. Reinventing the wheel is not always needed.

    I suppose the truth is EON don’t hire a Bond actor based on how conventional they are. They figure out what qualities they want (both for Bond in general and to a lesser extent this particular interpretation) and they see which actors from their pool perform best and adjust accordingly.

    I dunno, I suppose with Suter he’s the kind of actor whose face I struggle to remember even if I’ve seen him in multiple roles. He’s a good looking boy, certainly can do charm, has a good physique, nice voice but…. I dunno, as Bond it doesn’t click for me. He doesn’t quite have something distinct like the blue eyes that Craig or Moore had, or that hint of darkness to his face that Craig, Connery and Dalton did. His charm doesn’t quite have that raw magnetism from what I’ve seen. His physique is good but I can’t say about his physicality as these are different and I don’t have enough to go on. His natural voice onscreen is almost a bit too posh without the intonation or deepness of Moore or Craig, and consequently to me he comes off as more ‘nice but not overly clever’ former public school boy rather than James Bond, and more importantly it’s a vibe I get in some of his performances.

    Again, I could be wrong, and he is legit a good actor, but there’s just something that doesn’t quite click in place with him as 007 for me.
    I know we've mentioned gravitas as a necessary quality more than a few times in this thread, but I'm curious about what exactly we mean?

    Difficult to say. You can’t really see it until you see it in some of these actor’s roles. And it’s subjective.

    Hence why I always I and no one else here truly know what we’re talking about with these actors!
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,970
    I think again like I briefly mentioned earlier, no matter who we're speaking on, all of our opinions are surmised based on what we can see from them with what we have access to at this time, whereas EON get to meet with these actors, get to know them, understand how they would want to approach it and then eventually screentest them.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,193
    Denbigh wrote: »
    I think again like I briefly mentioned earlier, no matter who we're speaking on, all of our opinions are surmised based on what we can see from them with what we have access to at this time, whereas EON get to meet with these actors, get to know them, understand how they would want to approach it and then eventually screentest them.
    Absolutely…
  • Posts: 4,067
    Denbigh wrote: »
    I think again like I briefly mentioned earlier, no matter who we're speaking on, all of our opinions are surmised based on what we can see from them with what we have access to at this time, whereas EON get to meet with these actors, get to know them, understand how they would want to approach it and then eventually screentest them.

    Completely agreed.
  • Posts: 3,327
    Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.

    He's my favourite too, although I do have issues with his voice. If ATJ is chosen, hopefully he can work on it.
  • Posts: 3,327
    talos7 wrote: »
    Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.

    Lowden would be a much better pick.

    Naa. Too blonde. I'm done with a blonde Bond after Craig's reign.
  • edited November 2023 Posts: 6,709
    talos7 wrote: »
    Ever since the first ATJ rumour dropped I have been unable to picture anyone else as the next Bond. And that includes my previous favourite, Jack Lowden.

    Lowden would be a much better pick.

    Naa. Too blonde. I'm done with a blonde Bond after Craig's reign.
    Me too. And no more short spiky hair, that’s too 90s.

    And here I am, reintroducing the hair debacle ;)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Just out of curiosity, @jetsetwilly ... How is ATJ representative of Fleming Bond? I'd have assumed under your strict guidelines, the guy who presents the best would be an Aidan Turner, by far?

    (If I was in charge, and if it came down to ATJ and Turner (two guys I don't think will clinch the role), I'd choose Turner 💯% of the time).

    Personally, I find ATJ a bit dead behind the eyes. He's lacking in something for me. He's happy go lucky, but not in any way that I admire. He's got a terrific build, but it's not impressing me since Bond has to be more than "a build". His arrogance isn't appealing to me (this is tough to describe, but, I recently watched the Beckham documentary, and I really didn't know much about this guy, other than he was a footballer who was married to Posh, but being Canadian, I'm a hockey fanatic and know little to nothing about football.

    But I found Beckham to have a dash of arrogance because of his god-given talent, but highly charismatic and extremely likable. There was this authenticity that I imagine is quite difficult to fake. So Beckham is someone, to me, has this arrogance about him, but at the same time I am drawn to him and curious (and he was instantly likeable)).

    I suppose I don't find ATJ authentic in some ways.

    I dunno....

    But curious @jetsetwilly , because, although Sope has a skin color that is rich in melanin pigments that some find offensive for James Bond, I find his character much more suited to 007 than ATJ. I do find it shocking that this guy is your favorite??
  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    edited November 2023 Posts: 1,636
    talos7 wrote: »
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Keeping in mind the popular thinking is they want a younger/30ish Bond (and assuming he's white):

    Who?
    Fabien Frankel
    Paul Mescal
    Luke Thompson
    Jonathan Bailey
    Tom Brittney
    Joey Batey
    Tom Glynn-Carney
    Joe Alwyn
    Callum Turner
    Johnny Flynn
    Callum Woodhouse
    Nicholas Ralph
    Jack Lowden
    Fionn Whitehead
    Leo Suter

    Add Leo Suter to this list…

    Done. Here are some images of the "Who?" category I posted previous page:

    Fabien Frankel:
    jey6ze2cztna1.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=79e62343a3c61544ef835b2cdad41522021539e2

    Paul Mescal:
    12-6a0e30343ba44e35a5f845db221b4eb0.jpg?quality=75&width=990&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&auto=webp

    Jonathan Bailey:
    Jonathan-Bailey-Met-Gala-Velvet-Blazer-Suit.webp

    Tom Brittney:
    5c3674d35fd6eb000e3ba32a

    Joey Batey:
    90qedr8uahoa1.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=295ce5e3a6f7372d20dfc2f6a4d684e694aa81cf

    Tom Glynn-Carney:
    Interview_DIGITAL_WEB_2019_SEP_Tom-Glynn-Carney.jpg

    Joe Alwyn:
    1399257310

    Callum Turner:
    callum-turner-style-02.jpg

    Johnny Flynn:
    1bc1a950c115101ae5cf7002ff34f58517-25-johnny-flynn.rsocial.w1200.jpg

    Callum Woodhouse:
    MV5BNWZkNWI1OTgtOTc0Ni00ODFhLTgzOWQtMDEwNTAzOGJhYzAzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjE1MjI2MTQ@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

    Nicholas Ralph:
    MV5BYWYwMjZiMGEtNTU5Ni00ZGNiLWJjNmYtY2RlNmVhODE2NTAyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_.jpg

    Jack Lowden:
    Jack+Lowden_BTB_Online%C2%B0.jpg?format=2500w

    Fionn Whitehead:
    NINTCHDBPICT000338558543-e1545950136381.jpg?w=1240

    Leo Suter:
    9b2a69f5456228b8059d7b40e373e373ccaddb50-1251x1566.jpg?w=1296&q=80&auto=format

    My top three from the "Who?" list:
    1. Nicholas Ralph: has the Fleming/Carmichael vibe
    2. Fabien Frankel: unique look to other Bonds; optional hair curl; incredibly well-groomed
    3. Callum Turner: Does not look like a "modern man," looks vintage and unique, well styled.

    My wildcard (from this list): Tom Brittney - looks a bit of a footballer, but also a bit like a dapper soldier.

    My strong "please, no"s from the "Who?" list:
    x1: Tom Glynn-Carney, who looks like a H*tler youth soldier
    x2: Joey Batey, who looks like Calvin Dyson (no offense)
    x3: Fionn Whitehead, who will probably always look too young

    And finally, Joe Alwyn embarrassed himself with Taylor Swift and looks too generic/American for my tastes (as an American).

  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited November 2023 Posts: 5,970
    If I'm to interject @peter and add my own two cents regarding ATJ.

    For me, he has the perfect duality of a cinematic James Bond. I think he's proven in his work that he's able to perform the more charming and fun elements that would fit with a globe-trotting gentleman spy (Bullet Train, Kick Ass), as well as the darker more serious and weighty elements that come from being a cold-blooded government agent with a licence to kill (Nocturnal Animals, Outlaw King). When it comes to his build, I'm more impressed by what me and @007HallY discussed, his physicality.

    As for his arrogance, if it's there it often goes over my head, and like I said before, in my opinion, an air of arrogance can sometimes be quite a natural and indicative thing when it comes to being a "star", given how our relationship with them as an audience works. On a slight tangent, it's why I personally choose to give the benefit of the doubt whenever you hear fans not getting the interactions they want because these aren't usual interactions to have. But anyway, your question was to @jetsetwilly so I'll leave it at that :)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    I do understand your points @Denbigh but ATJ in Bullet Train felt like a character who was cut from a Guy Ritchie script and, to me, was quite paper thin in execution (all cockney and not much else), although I did enjoy some of his physical wor); Kick Ass he was quite young and I see nothing of Bond in him as a very young man…

    In Nocturnal Animals and films like it, I forget that he’s in these films— and not because he’s so deeply imbedded in the character, but because he was very forgettable (to me).

    As for the arrogance, I tried to describe a kind of likeable arrogance (as seen in Beckham), but that Vaniry Fair clip of the backflip felt like “try-hard “ arrogance.

    Hes a good looking man, but I fail to see James Bond in this guy.

    That’s why I’m interested in jetsetwilly’s feedback; as a Fleming purist, what does he see?

    @LucknFate one of the guys growing on me is Callum Turner…. There’s something cheerful and watchable about him. Is he Bond? I don’t know. But the first step is, does the actor have something likeable about them. Callum does…
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited November 2023 Posts: 5,970
    peter wrote: »
    @LucknFate one of the guys growing on me is Callum Turner…. There’s something cheerful and watchable about him. Is he Bond? I don’t know. But the first step is, does the actor have something likeable about them. Callum does…
    While we disagree, I completely understand and it’s obvious his work just resonates with me in a different way @peter. As for Callum, he’s another in my top contenders and has been for a while. I still remember suggesting him way back when to a crowd of tumbleweed (over time I think he’s been taken more seriously on here), but I’ve always felt he had great potential. I think for this discussion page, and forum in general, he lacks the filmography to back him and has a lot more to prove, given he’s still within his rise as an established actor that people know, but that could be a benefit when it comes to James Bond...

    ...and as I said above it’s more important what EON sees in them because they get to see other side that we don’t. But yeah, I’d definitely be up for Callum as well. He also must be quite the charmer cause he went out with Vanessa Kirby for a bit haha ;)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    I hear you @Denbigh …. And I can see that ATJ definitely resonates with you. It’s also clear you’re very open and you do have a keen eye in spotting some interesting talent for Bond (as well as actors who could slot into other roles in a 007 adventure). I’ve enjoyed your candidates and @LucknFate as well (but yeah, ATJ is one that does baffle me (although I can see he’s got attractive elements, they just don’t come together for me, unfortunately!))
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,970
    Ah well thank you @peter, much appreciated. If Debbie McWilliams is looking for an assistant, I'm free ;)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Denbigh wrote: »
    Ah well thank you @peter, much appreciated. If Debbie McWilliams is looking for an assistant, I'm free ;)

    :)) !!!!!!
  • buddyoldchapbuddyoldchap Formerly known as JeremyBondon
    Posts: 188
    Agree fully with @peter 100% on the money
  • edited November 2023 Posts: 3,327
    peter wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, @jetsetwilly ... How is ATJ representative of Fleming Bond? I'd have assumed under your strict guidelines, the guy who presents the best would be an Aidan Turner, by far?

    (If I was in charge, and if it came down to ATJ and Turner (two guys I don't think will clinch the role), I'd choose Turner 💯% of the time).

    Personally, I find ATJ a bit dead behind the eyes. He's lacking in something for me. He's happy go lucky, but not in any way that I admire. He's got a terrific build, but it's not impressing me since Bond has to be more than "a build". His arrogance isn't appealing to me (this is tough to describe, but, I recently watched the Beckham documentary, and I really didn't know much about this guy, other than he was a footballer who was married to Posh, but being Canadian, I'm a hockey fanatic and know little to nothing about football.

    But I found Beckham to have a dash of arrogance because of his god-given talent, but highly charismatic and extremely likable. There was this authenticity that I imagine is quite difficult to fake. So Beckham is someone, to me, has this arrogance about him, but at the same time I am drawn to him and curious (and he was instantly likeable)).

    I suppose I don't find ATJ authentic in some ways.

    I dunno....

    But curious @jetsetwilly , because, although Sope has a skin color that is rich in melanin pigments that some find offensive for James Bond, I find his character much more suited to 007 than ATJ. I do find it shocking that this guy is your favorite??

    It's purely on looks alone. These 2 photos from GQ swung it for me -

    copilot-style-fashion-201309-aaron-taylor-jackson-gq-magazine-style-september-2013-08.jpg

    f1783bda52532c164f8602f45477fb61.jpg

    I haven't seen enough of him in acting roles to decide whether he would be ideal for Bond or not, but purely from a look point of view, I think he has it. I can see a bit of Lazenby in these 2 photos, he fits the literary description, and also appears to have the swagger for the cinematic version too.

    I have issues with his voice from what I've heard when he speaks, but if we are focusing on looks alone, he has it. Turner would also be another choice for me too.

    If you look back at Connery pre 1962, there isn't much in his early roles that screams Bond in terms of his performances, but he had the look. And I am using this basis for ATJ too.

    (Edit) Sadly I've just read that ATJ is 5"10 tall, so this looks to be a no go from me now. A Bond actor needs to ideally be 6ft, 2" tall. Turner is too short as well.

    I'm basically wanting a Timothy Dalton MKII.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited November 2023 Posts: 5,970
    Well @jetsetwilly, Callum Turner is 6'2". He has a strong voice and a more Fleming look ;)
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited November 2023 Posts: 3,147
    ATJ and Mescal look like they're cut from very similar cloth, to me. If that's the line EON's thinking along, either would probably work. At this point, having seen Nocturnal Animals and Bullet Train, I have no qualms about ATJ's ability to do both drama and humour, so I'd probably favour him. Not seen Mescal in a humorous role, so I'm less confident about that aspect with him. Have to agree with others re. ATJ's voice, though - without pretty substantial work on it, that'd be a deal-breaker for me. ATJ's a good character actor, though, so transforming to suit the role would be second nature to him, I'd think.
  • edited November 2023 Posts: 4,067
    peter wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, @jetsetwilly ... How is ATJ representative of Fleming Bond? I'd have assumed under your strict guidelines, the guy who presents the best would be an Aidan Turner, by far?

    (If I was in charge, and if it came down to ATJ and Turner (two guys I don't think will clinch the role), I'd choose Turner 💯% of the time).

    Personally, I find ATJ a bit dead behind the eyes. He's lacking in something for me. He's happy go lucky, but not in any way that I admire. He's got a terrific build, but it's not impressing me since Bond has to be more than "a build". His arrogance isn't appealing to me (this is tough to describe, but, I recently watched the Beckham documentary, and I really didn't know much about this guy, other than he was a footballer who was married to Posh, but being Canadian, I'm a hockey fanatic and know little to nothing about football.

    But I found Beckham to have a dash of arrogance because of his god-given talent, but highly charismatic and extremely likable. There was this authenticity that I imagine is quite difficult to fake. So Beckham is someone, to me, has this arrogance about him, but at the same time I am drawn to him and curious (and he was instantly likeable)).

    I suppose I don't find ATJ authentic in some ways.

    I dunno....

    But curious @jetsetwilly , because, although Sope has a skin color that is rich in melanin pigments that some find offensive for James Bond, I find his character much more suited to 007 than ATJ. I do find it shocking that this guy is your favorite??

    It's purely on looks alone. These 2 photos from GQ swung it for me -

    copilot-style-fashion-201309-aaron-taylor-jackson-gq-magazine-style-september-2013-08.jpg

    f1783bda52532c164f8602f45477fb61.jpg

    I haven't seen enough of him in acting roles to decide whether he would be ideal for Bond or not, but purely from a look point of view, I think he has it. I can see a bit of Lazenby in these 2 photos, he fits the literary description, and also appears to have the swagger for the cinematic version too.

    I have issues with his voice from what I've heard when he speaks, but if we are focusing on looks alone, he has it. Turner would also be another choice for me too.

    If you look back at Connery pre 1962, there isn't much in his early roles that screams Bond in terms of his performances, but he had the look. And I am using this basis for ATJ too.

    (Edit) Sadly I've just read that ATJ is 5"10 tall, so this looks to be a no go from me now. A Bond actor needs to ideally be 6ft, 2" tall. Turner is too short as well.

    I'm basically wanting a Timothy Dalton MKII.

    See, I don’t think that was necessarily the view in 1962 necessarily. Connery was balding even then, he had bushy eyebrows, brown eyes, and paired with his heavy Scottish accent and rather ‘working class’ general impression (which is partly based on his film roles pre-62 too) I don’t think he was a majority’s view of the literary Bond. I guess he was sort of tall, dark and handsome, but certainly not in the ‘English gentleman’ way that I think the common perception was for the character at the time.

    If anything actors like Moore or Craig have more directly in common with Fleming’s Bond with their cold blue eyes and ‘cruel’ mouths. But I think it’s a case of looking at the bigger picture with any of these actors.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,748
    It will always be the case of not necessarily the actor, but what is done with the Bond character that carries the day.

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