Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    Posts: 1,130
    doubleoego wrote: »
    patb wrote: »
    If you look at SC's first scene in Dr No, the thing that stands out for me is just how utterley relaxed and casual he is. From the way he tosses the cards on to the table to the way he smokes and talks to the way he walks away from the table. He plays the scene perfectly and sets the bar from then. Obvioulsy we all have our favourites but wouldn't it be great if we could find someone who was just that cool in scenes like that. I dont think anyone has matched that so far. Coolness is somehing we seemed to have lost within modern cinema. Who within the potential candidates can be cool?

    The answer to that is, there is no one today that we're familiar with that can do what Connery did as described as above. Connery just had "it". That natural effortlessness, wrapped in a fabric of charismatic charm and an emotional disposition of being ultimately suave and not giving a fuck made him one of a kind. A true alpha, which sadly, in today's world is like finding a needle in the proverbial. People are too soft and are trying way too hard to be something they're not and it just comes off looking blatantly artificial.

    If I were a producer at EoN, the criteria for acting and presence wouldn't just be the FRWL hotel suite scene? It would be the following:

    The entire introduction/casino scene from DN

    The killing of Dent

    The dinner scene in DN' lair

    Bond meeting Karina for the first time in FRWL

    The hotel room/love scene in FRWL

    The "I've made a few calculations of my own" scene from GF

    and...

    The scene where Bond finds Fiona in his bathtub from TB.

    If an actor more or less has the look and can nail these scenes, sign the contract!


    I think Pierce Brosnan had this cool vibe like Sean Connery. You could see from the beginning in Goldeneye he was born to play Bond.
    The only flaw there was came from the hair and dress style departments, He just needed a better fitted suits and better hair cutwhich were fixed right away in his second film but his acting was great since his first film.


    That coolness, Charisma and Charm to me is more important than the fighting and action skills.


    Anyway saying so i agree with you the screen test should have more than just one scene and all the ones you mentioned are the perfect ones to know if an actor is right for Bond.

    Jamie Dornan could work he definitely has the good looks and but he is much more aimed at the female crowd.

    i know I've always said i want a Bond actor which will be loved by the females and could make them look forward to watch Bond as long as the next actor stays but now im afraid Jamie could alienate the guys which is the fan base i guess Eon cares more about.

    We need a bond actor which will be almost equally loved by both gendres like Sean Connery did























  • RC7RC7
    edited September 2016 Posts: 10,512
    bondjames wrote: »
    patb wrote: »
    When I first saw Dr No, I have to admit that I took SC's performance for granted. It's very easy to overlook how good he is. Now I am a fully fledged Bond geek and seen the rival performances by the other actors, you just have to admire how he got it so right. Its an interesting point now that, have we changed so much culturally that men (including actors) just dont have that swagger and air of utter confidence anymore. Have we become, as a gender, too self aware and sensitive to produce someone who can just "be" Bond (if that makes sense?) and how much of SC's Bond performance was a projection of his own values from the 50s and 60s?
    That's a good point. I agree that 'the times' will influence the interpretation and the manner in which Bond's confidence is portrayed on screen. However, Bond must always appear confident and masculine, and even in today's world there are men (and actors) who can naturally exude that. It will just be done in a different way to Sean, to account for the era we live in.

    Agree with both of you. You just won't find a Connery these days, he's a relic of a bygone era. Finding someone who embodies the Fleming model is incredibly difficult and I still think Connery was the only one to come close. I know there's a school that thinks Dalton nailed it, but even he fell short. I mean, he's just not in Connery's league whichever way you cut it.

    This is part of the reason I admire Roger as much as I do, he was an agent of change. Not too much, but he shifted the goalposts enough that it helped the cinematic incarnation take on a life of its own. Throw of the shackles so to speak.

    There are several shades of Bond and every fan and casual fan has a preference that lies somewhere on that spectrum.

    I honestly don't think we'd be here talking about this if every iteration were to stick stringently to the Fleming archetype.

    Going forward I think it's always about keeping Fleming right to the heart of it, but allowing a shift in character that's beneficial to the actor portraying him. That should always involve one foot in the past and one in the present. That's the balance they have to find for Bond to 'be' Bond, whilst also staying relevant.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,113
    Aidan Turner would be the youngest Bond since 1969.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Aidan Turner would be the youngest Bond since 1969.

    Depending of course in which year he'll actually take over the role.
    Craig might do another one or even two.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Hopefully he never will.
  • Posts: 6,601
    Who? Turner or DC?
  • Posts: 19,339
    Turner....DC I would welcome back with open arms !
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    So, you don't want the Warners to take over the distributing duties? ;)
  • edited September 2016 Posts: 1,661
    The comments about Connery - which I agree with - is why I dislike Craig's casting as Bond. I don't think he has that cool factor that Connery brought to the role but the reason I mention this is because I don't believe people care if the next Bond actor is particularly cool or smoothly confident. Jason Bourne/Jack Bauer/Ethan Hunt aren't known for smooth coolness but they're popular action heroes. Basically if the next Bond actor can be reasonably confident and masculine, that's good enough.

    Sean Connery's Bond is a memory from the past. There won't be a Sean Connery version 2 and perhaps that's for the best. Each actor has to bring their own qualities to the role and if some fans don't like it, so be it! I have grown to be 'okay' with Craig as Bond and I suspect some fans will feel the same about the next bloke in the role.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I'd rather they stick to what made the character great: Sean Connery version 2.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Very very hard to find unfortunately,in the modern day.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,113
    Have you seen how good Turner looks in a tux? amazing.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    @fanbond123

    you have a point there, the casting of Craig has proven that "any" guy could work being Bond if he is confident and masculine enough.

    Which is sad really. I rather have someone that resembles Fleming's vision (Dalton) or that simply creates his own iconic version of Bond (Moore) or someone that combines the best of the predecessors (Brosnan).
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    edited September 2016 Posts: 15,423
    @fanbond123

    you have a point there, the casting of Craig has proven that "any" guy could work being Bond if he is confident and masculine enough.

    Which is sad really. I rather have someone that resembles Fleming's vision (Dalton) or that simply creates his own iconic version of Bond (Moore) or someone that combines the best of the predecessors (Brosnan).
    +1
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    Posts: 1,130
    @fanbond123

    you have a point there, the casting of Craig has proven that "any" guy could work being Bond if he is confident and masculine enough.

    Which is sad really. I rather have someone that resembles Fleming's vision (Dalton) or that simply creates his own iconic version of Bond (Moore) or someone that combines the best of the predecessors (Brosnan).
    +1

    I also Agree with this.

  • Posts: 6,601
    Oh god =))
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited September 2016 Posts: 15,690
    @doubleoego and @bondjames The only actor I can think of in the last 10/20 years who seems to be made from the Connery 'mould' - very classy, suave, manly and effortlessly cool - is Denzel Washington. When I rewatched a few of his films recently, I noticed he seems to bring some of his own mannerism and ticks, whether for fictional or historical characters. Even for that new drama film of his, 'Fences', he doesn't seem to act, he makes all his line deliveries seem natural, effortless. But even then, Denzel is very far from Connery. Sean was one of a kind.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I'm with you there @DaltonCraig007. I had mentioned a few years back (on this thread I think?) that Denzel is one of the few actors out there who I think could play the first 'black Bond'. The man is super cool naturally and can do anything he wants to. An extremely versatile actor.

    One of my big regrets was not seeing him live on Broadway in 2014 when he was doing an adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun. I had tickets and was all set for it, but unfortunately work priorities kept me in Canada and I couldn't make the trip. Fortunately, I got a refund from the Theatre.

    If you've not seen Crimson Tide, I highly recommend it. Two legends (Washington and Hackman) square off in a submarine. Great stuff.
  • edited September 2016 Posts: 19,339
    bondjames wrote: »
    If you've not seen Crimson Tide, I highly recommend it. Two legends (Washington and Hackman) square off in a submarine. Great stuff.
    One of my favourite films,an absolutely gripping thriller,with 2 powerhouse actors going hammer and tongs at eachother.
    And an epic soundtrack and score.

    I still cant work out who was right or wrong in what happened...I think you just have to say they were both right and both wrong.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Didn't Denzel play a British agent of sorts in a film called For Queen and Country in the late 80s?
  • edited September 2016 Posts: 19,339
    Didn't Denzel play a British agent of sorts in a film called For Queen and Country in the late 80s?
    Yep,he did indeed.

  • Posts: 15,826
    @doubleoego and @bondjames The only actor I can think of in the last 10/20 years who seems to be made from the Connery 'mould' - very classy, suave, manly and effortlessly cool - is Denzel Washington. When I rewatched a few of his films recently, I noticed he seems to bring some of his own mannerism and ticks, whether for fictional or historical characters. Even for that new drama film of his, 'Fences', he doesn't seem to act, he makes all his line deliveries seem natural, effortless. But even then, Denzel is very far from Connery. Sean was one of a kind.

    I remember Gene Siskel commenting that Denzel would have been his choice for Bond during the Brosnan era.
    I still need to see Devil In A Blue Dress, as that film would be right up my alley.
  • Posts: 19,339
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    I still need to see Devil In A Blue Dress, as that film would be right up my alley.

    Another good film,but watch it on your own as it needs concentration.

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,690
    What seperates Connery from the other Bond's is that he doesn't appear to be 'acting'. His Bond persona on screen is an extension of Connery in real life. Daniel Craig is a fantastic Bond, but for entirely different reasons - he is a proper character actor, and he brings immense acting skills to his take on Bond. So Craig 'becomes' Bond, he isn't Bond 'naturally' - he could be, but his specific take on Bond we've seen since 2006 is not an extension of himself.

    So far in all the candidates for Bond #7 I don't see anyone with Craig's acting skills (bar Fassbender), or anyone who can ace the effortless factor like Connery.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited September 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I agree completely @DaltonCraig007. The fact that you've noticed that (as have I) suggest it's not entirely seamless with Craig. With Connery, it definitely was, in every way and in every scene.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,690
    @bondjames Moore had that 'it' factor that Connery had, and IMO Brosnan had it too. But as much as I enjoyed Brosnan, the 4 films he was given did not give room for that aspect of him. Brosnan's Bond without all the 'emotional baggage' they tried to give him would have been truly something. In interviews the guy is a legend, I wish we could have seen that side of him as Bond. Brosnan, like Moore and Connery are not 'character actors' but they have the 'it' factor that allows them to make it look effortless. Brosnan is still a very popular Bond, but had EON given him that TB/TSWLM/OP (big brassy Bond adventures with no personal drama) style films for his tenure, he would more well regarded in fanbases like this one.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I agree on Moore @DaltonCraig007, and I think he proved it over 12 long years. His interpretation was an extension of his personality, which is a more light hearted one than Connery's (as can be seen when they do interviews etc.).

    I thought that Brosnan was good in GE & DAD. I personally prefer his more generic GE Bond. Having said that, he brings more of 'Brosnan' in DAD and it's a suitable interpretation (I actually prefer him in DAD to Craig in SP because I feel Brosnan is being more himself in DAD than Craig is himself in SP, if that makes any sense).

    A Bond actor really needs to bring an extension of their personality to succeed imho. That's why I prefer Craig when he's the tough as nails character (QoS) or the cynical, jaded character (SF). I think both of those attributes are inherent to Craig's persona, and therefore it's quite natural when he accentuates that via his acting.
  • Posts: 4,602
    I think there are a few movie stars where, like SC, they played a version of themselves and that enabled them to come over as very relaxed and cool. Steve McQueen is an obvious example. He plays very similar characters but just oozes class. Again, as with SC, with age, he actually diversifies and is more respected for his acting (Papillion). Clint Eastwood could be another? Modern actors dont seem to have this. I wonder if there is a connection but perhaps guys who come to acting a little later in life have time to develop in a different way and then bring that persona to the screen? SM, SC and CE, for example, all saw military service where as DC went to Youth Theatre at 16? (just some thoughts)
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I don't know anything about his personal life or anything of sorts but I suspect Craig, in real life, isn't someone to mess with. He has this anger type of thing that makes him sort of not a man to play games with, either. Tough feller.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,690
    @bondjames I think that Brosnan both wasn't and was the problem. He wasn't the problem because he didn't write the films or took the decisions for the invisible car or Jinx. He was still a very charismatic actor and a charismatic Bond, and it showed. But he turned into a problem when EON served him not very well written dramatic scenes and Brosnan (at the time) simply couldn't carry these type of scenes. Maybe due to lack of direction from the director or whatever, but it was his weak point as Bond. That's why I rank Moore higher because he aced it when he was asked to be more serious. You remove all 'emotional/dramatic' scenes in Brosnan's films, and you play on his huge charisma/suaveness, and his tenure would have been very different. @bondjames I've heard you saying on various threads here that Brosnan was up-staged by the supporting cast in GE. But fast-forward 15 years in time, and Brosnan with his 10 minutes role in 'Remember Me' (the Robert Pattinson romance/drama), he literally up-staged everyone and ridiculed Pattinson (the lead actor) every time they were in the same scene. That style of Brosnan would have been fantastic as Bond, and I say this as a big fan of his Bond films.
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