Bond actors- worst post Bond career

in Actors Posts: 1,548
With Pierce Brosnan’s latest film Spinning Man getting mixed reviews, it got me thinking which actor has struggled the most after leaving the role. Brosnan has a distinctly patchy record post Bond, both commercially and critically and Tim Dalton doesn’t seem to appear in much these days. I’m not counting George Lazenby as he’s obviously not a proper actor. Clearly Sir Sean had a successful post Bond career and yet it is Bond that he will be remembered most fondly for.
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  • Posts: 19,339
    I think Brosnan has done very well since Bond...i would say poor Sir Roger didnt have much of a career post Bond,i mean Spice Girls the Movie ?!?!
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Roger Moore certainly.

    As I said somewhere else recently he was somewhat typecast due to his looks when younger. When that faded, sadly around the time of AVTAK, the roles dried up as well.

    If he'd managed to keep a bit of his youthful swagger & energy like his contemporary Clint Eastwood did, then I believe he could have had a stellar post-Bond career imho.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Moore and Dalton have both had a pretty poor career post Bond.
  • Posts: 2,887
    I'd say Dalton had a better post-Bond acting career than Moore. Perhaps not a great one, but I'd rather have Penny Dreadful, Hot Fuzz, The Rocketeer, and Toy Story 3 on my resume than Bullseye!, Spice World, and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,378
    Roger in "Boat Trip."

    "Would you like to have a bite of my sausage? In England we call them bangers."

    (shudders)
  • Posts: 5,772
    Revelator wrote: »
    I'd say Dalton had a better post-Bond acting career than Moore. Perhaps not a great one, but I'd rather have Penny Dreadful, Hot Fuzz, The Rocketeer, and Toy Story 3 on my resume than Bullseye!, Spice World, and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

    Don't forget Doctor Who. After all, he's the only Bond to have appeared on that series.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    edited April 2018 Posts: 15,423
    Post-Bond career? Lazenby had the worst. Hardly memorable outside Bond.

    Brosnan, next to Connery, had the best post-Bond career.

    As for Spinning Man, it's only a VOD film. Not a large theatrical release to be recognized as a masterpiece. It delivered what it promised. An average mystery thriller.
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,332
    Connery - Easy number 1. An Academy Award, with multiple other BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations
    Brosnan - Lot of standard action flicks, which have led to some moderate box office success
    Dalton - Moderate success, most in areas that I don't watch, but I've seen him in Penny Dreadful, Hot Fuzz, Toy Story
    Moore - Retired from Bond at 58, when most actors start seeing a decline in roles, so not really a surprise. Also got very invested in UNICEF and his battle with cancer in the early 90s took much of his immediate post Bond career
    Lazenby - Wasn't given many opportunities after he left the Bond franchise in the way he did
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 2,107
    Probably Lazenby. I think I have only seen clips of his post Bond career.

    His only full post Bond performance I remember seeing is an episode from Alfred Hitchcock presents called 'Diamonds Aren't Forever'.

    Moore had a little better post Bond career, even though his movies after Bond were not very good in quality.

    Connery and Brosnan clearly have had the best run of movies after their turn as double o seven.

    Craig's career seems to lead him in to television or in movies that are both box office and critical duds.

    Best I can hope for him is that he'll have a career close to Dalton, after he ditches the tuxedo. Some quality acting work as supporting character in movies, or larger roles on tv and on stage.
  • Posts: 6,682
    Connery - Easy number 1. An Academy Award, with multiple other BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations
    Brosnan - Lot of standard action flicks, which have led to some moderate box office success
    Dalton - Moderate success, most in areas that I don't watch, but I've seen him in Penny Dreadful, Hot Fuzz, Toy Story
    Moore - Retired from Bond at 58, when most actors start seeing a decline in roles, so not really a surprise. Also got very invested in UNICEF and his battle with cancer in the early 90s took much of his immediate post Bond career
    Lazenby - Wasn't given many opportunities after he left the Bond franchise in the way he did
    I agree with this ranking.

    Now that we're on the subject of these actors, and speaking mainly in terms of prestige and popularity, my impression is that while Connery remained a star through his entire career, after his original run as James Bond, he seemingly only hit the major leagues again with The Untouchables, after which he became a major Hollywood star in the nineties, probably even more so than in the sixties (Bond aside). I suspect Never Say Never Again revived people's interest in him, which lead to The Untouchables and all the later success. It's like with Clint Eastwood in the late eighties/early nineties-- both of these actors managed to stick around long enough so that after a slight decline, which threatened to render them obsolete, they became famous "all over again" by choosing the right projects.

    I would also add that in his post-Bond years, Brosnan also appeared in Mamma Mia! and The Ghost Writer, which were quality projects, regardless of what one may think of them as films. Apart from that, as well as his share of solid-to-great action flicks, he has made a number of films which have aspired to achieve a certain prestige. He has worked with some name actors and was nominated for a Golden Globe for The Matador (I know the Globes are decided by just eighty "journalists," but in terms of image they do count for something). But crucially for him, Brosnan has managed to remain visible over the years-- he hasn't vanished, he sticks around. All things considered, he has carved a fine career for himself, I must say.

    Dalton capitalized on Bond with The Rocketeer but shortly afterwards he was back to doing projects of a lower profile, and working with Fran Drescher (hehe). I think he just didn't have the ambition to become a big star. That's the vibe I get from him from interviews, anyway.

    Roger Moore was 58 when he left Bond so he was already unlikely to remain a big star for long. Also, that long stretch from 1985 to 1990 in which he didn't get any projects completed (apart from that snowman flick) was probably harmful as well. I recall at one point he was going to make Bullseye! with Shirley Maclaine, but that fell through, obviously. He was also going to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love but quit because he felt he wouldn't be able to sing in sync with the orchestra. I think he did have the ambition to remain relevant as an actor, but couldn't succeed at it (he was seduced by the prospect of getting top-billing alongside Van Damme in The Quest-- which didn't happen in the end and he disliked Van Damme and producer Moshe Diamant ever since, for that and other reasons). I do wonder why he didn't make more films in the UK; after all, during his run as James Bond, that's where he had found the most success outside of 007. And I read somewhere that 1994's The Man Who Wouldn't Die was intended as a pilot for a TV show. I'm not sure it's true, but if it is, it obviously didn't pan out, and yet it makes me think he could've taken another shot at a US-made TV show. In a sitcom, I'm sure he would've made a wonderful lead and put his considerable charm to great use. He obviously would've worked very well in a mystery show, too.

    After Bond, Lazenby was about to make a film with Bruce Lee, but life intervened. I think he wanted to hit it big outside of Bond, but just didn't know the right people-- not after just one film role and no acting experience before that. I always remember Tony Curtis' career decline in the seventies. In his autobiography he himself says he didn't have any contacts left in Hollywood in that decade. He had had a famous agent whose name I forget, and then replaced him with Swifty Lazar, who didn't have the same clout as the former agent. So after a while, there weren't enough people in high places in Hollywood who knew who he was, and he was getting the most awful projects, with some exceptions. And his cocaine addiction didn't help, but that's another story.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    No contest: Lazenby.

    Brosnan and Sean both did well post Bond. I think Brosnan has probably had the best of it. Roger didn't really try to do much. Dalton not quite so strong a career, though stronger in recent years.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,914
    Gavin. Or maybe Brolin.

    Definitely an 'in.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2018 Posts: 15,686
    Kevin Costner has gone on record several times that the biggest star he ever worked with was Sean Connery, while naming Gene Hackman as the best actor he had the pleasure of working with. And I believe I've seen an interview from Nicolas Cage where he held Connery on the same very high regards.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    Alec Baldwin had a great story about Sean Connery, too, seemed to hold him in high regards:

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,686
    @Creasy47 Mel Gibson said he took lessons/inspiration from Sean Connery on Scottish pronunciation while working on Braveheart:

  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 23,102
    latest?cb=20130406161215

    threexray.jpg

    Lazenby easily the worst
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    They say Craig has piercing eyes, but check out Lazenby!
  • Posts: 6,682
    That oculist did wonders.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2018 Posts: 15,686
    @bondjames I just found an interview from Andy Garcia, where he states he specifically lobbied for a role in The Untouchables to work with Sean Connery, his childhood hero.

    I previously found other actors who list Connery at the very top:
    Kevin Costner has gone on record several times that the biggest star he ever worked with was Sean Connery, while naming Gene Hackman as the best actor he had the pleasure of working with. And I believe I've seen an interview from Nicolas Cage where he held Connery on the same very high regards.
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 3,333
    Love the two clips that @Creasy47 and @DaltonCraig007 posted here. Thanks guys, I hadn't seen those.

    Personally, I'd say Lazenby got the short end of the stick after Bond. Blacklisted in Hollywood, he had to finance his own movie Universal Soldier here in the UK. Though some critics actually liked it, the movie performed poorly and that was pretty much it for Lazenby. I've seen Universal Soldier in its entirety and it's a strange little movie without much of a plot, but Lazenby is quite good in it. And as I pointed out, the critics thought he acted better in that movie than he did in OHMSS. I don't happen to agree with them, but then I've never agreed with most of these stuck-up movie critics to begin with. Of course, Lazenby almost teamed up with Bruce Lee but sadly that never came to fruition due to Lee's untimely and early death. A total travesty as I think we would now be seeing Lazenby in a different light if he had made those movies with Lee.

    Moore, on the other hand, made some real stinkers outside of Bond. During his tenure as 007: That Lucky Touch, Escape to Athena and The Sicilian Cross come to mind in the 70s. Though both Gold and Shout at the Devil fared much better at the BO, it was his ensemble cast movies The Wild Geese and The Cannonball Run that he excelled in. Post Bond, Roger Moore pretty much did lousy movie after lousy movie. I can't think of one that's any good to be honest.

    Dalton, after Rocketeer, was pretty much confined to playing in TV mini-series. I happen to think that he was very good in the ones that I saw: Framed (1992) being the best of them. However, Dalton has experienced somewhat of a resurgence of late and has made some very good movies such as Hot Fuzz, Toy Story 3 and also appeared in The Tourist (2010) with the likes of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, and of course Penny Dreadful (TV Series).

    Brosnan and Connery, we all know about so to list their achievements would be futile. Connery without a doubt is the undisputed king here, with Brosnan following behind by quite some margin. Next, I'd place Dalton, followed by Moore and finally Lazenby in last for obvious reasons.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    Agree we can leave Connery and Brosnan aside here. Both have had major careers, but part of that is down to their undisputed determination to prove themselves away from Bond, and maybe flip the bird at the producers.

    Lazenby has done ok all things considered. He should never have had any kind of career...at all...but he did some stuff and has made his money.

    Moore, kind of retired after Bond. Acted as and when it suited him. Worked with his mates, parodied himself. Had he wanted to he could have reinvented himself as a serious character actor, I have no doubt. I can see Craig in a similar vain, although he will pick and chose more worthwhile projects than Spice World I shouldn't wonder.

    Dalton is the anomaly here. At a time when we had the beefcake leading men in the USA (Willis, Stallone) and the younger, sensitive slightly bumbly Brits (Hugh Grant, Colin Firth,), I'm not sure Dalton really fitted as a leading man on the big screen. He should have taken his time, played the West End, searched for good TV projects instead of US mini series. He got there in the end with Penny Dreadful, but I think he has chosen poorly, and I would say he has had the most disappointing post Bond career.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    @bondjames I just found an interview from Andy Garcia, where he states he specifically lobbied for a role in The Untouchables to work with Sean Connery, his childhood hero.

    I previously found other actors who list Connery at the very top:
    Kevin Costner has gone on record several times that the biggest star he ever worked with was Sean Connery, while naming Gene Hackman as the best actor he had the pleasure of working with. And I believe I've seen an interview from Nicolas Cage where he held Connery on the same very high regards.
    I'm not surprised @DaltonCraig007. Connery is a legend to many, and with good reason. If I'm not mistaken, I believe I read somewhere that Barbara Carrera was approached for OP, but turned it down because she learned that Connery was going to make NSNA and she had always wanted to work with him. Not sure how true that is, but it wouldn't surprise me.
  • Posts: 1,879
    Yes, Connery is the clear winner BUT it has to be acknowledged a good portion of his success was post NSNA when he enjoyed a career resurgence. While he brings class and a star quality to anything he acts in, he had a really checkered career in the '70s and early '80s.

    Some just didn't translate well for audiences - The Molly Maguires, Five Days One Summer, The Next Man, Hostage, Zardoz. Others like The Green Knight, Cuba and Meteor were outright bombs. The better ones were where he was paired with other actors like Michael Caine and Donald Sutherland or as part of an ensemble.
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 613
    bondsum wrote: »
    Personally, I'd say Lazenby got the short end of the stick after Bond. Blacklisted in Hollywood, he had to finance his own movie Universal Soldier here in the UK. Though some critics actually liked it, the movie performed poorly and that was pretty much it for Lazenby. I've seen Universal Soldier in its entirety and it's a strange little movie without much of a plot, but Lazenby is quite good in it.

    I've never seen UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, but I've enjoyed some of the movies Lazenby did after Bond, especially WHO SAW HER DIE? and THE MAN FROM HONG KONG, both featuring convincing performances from Lazenby (although in the case of WHO SAW HER DIE?, he was not available to loop his voice in post-production). Lazenby also has the benefit of appearing in two legitimately great films in supporting or minor roles, Peter Bogdanovich's SAINT JACK and the American Civil War epic GETTYSBURG, both of which are better than anything in Daniel Craig's filmography.
    bondsum wrote: »
    Moore, on the other hand, made some real stinkers outside of Bond. During his tenure as 007: That Lucky Touch, Escape to Athena and The Sicilian Cross come to mind in the 70s. Though both Gold and Shout at the Devil fared much better at the BO, it was his ensemble cast movies The Wild Geese and The Cannonball Run that he excelled in.

    I disagree here. Moore acquitted himself quite admirably in THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF, FFOLKES, and THE NAKED FACE -- all very uncharacteristic roles.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited May 2018 Posts: 6,758
    I’d say The Man Who Haunted Himself was his best bit of acting that I’ve seen.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I’d say The Man Who Haunted Himself was his best bit of acting that I’ve seen.
    Basil Dearden got the best out of Rog and Sean imho, in TMWHH and Woman of Straw respectively.

    I thought Rog was great in Gold, The Wild Geese, Cannonball Run, Ffolkes and The Sea Wolves.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    edited May 2018 Posts: 15,423
    bondjames wrote: »
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I’d say The Man Who Haunted Himself was his best bit of acting that I’ve seen.
    Basil Dearden got the best out of Rog and Sean imho, in TMWHH and Woman of Straw respectively.
    +1. Hear hear!

    Shame Dearden died so early. I would've loved to see him directing Bond. Had there been a proper Casino Royale effort with Sean Connery in the sixties, he'd have been the most eligible to direct the film.
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 3,333
    Escalus5 wrote: »
    I disagree here. Moore acquitted himself quite admirably in THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF, FFOLKES, and THE NAKED FACE -- all very uncharacteristic roles.
    THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF (1970) movie was made 3 years before he made his first Bond appearance so isn't included in my summary. FFOLKES was called North Sea Hijack here in its home country on its original release in 1980. Not sure when the title switch occurred? Yeah, it's okay as a faux Alistair MacLean knock-off. Nothing great considering it's produced by Elliott Kastner who also produced Where Eagles Dare and the excellent The Long Goodbye (1973). Performed poorly at the BO as I recall. I didn't like The Sea Wolves as I saw it as just another Wild Geese but set on water... and one was quite enough.
  • edited May 2018 Posts: 613
    bondsum wrote: »
    FFOLKES was called North Sea Hijack here in its home country on its original release in 1980. Not sure when the title switch occurred? Yeah, it's okay as a faux Alistair MacLean knock-off.

    It has nothing to do with MacLean other than being a counter-terrorism thriller. For one thing, MacLean would have never developed such an oddball protagonist.

    FFOLKES is the U.S. title. It also aired on television here (the States) as ASSAULT FORCE.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    bondjames wrote: »
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I’d say The Man Who Haunted Himself was his best bit of acting that I’ve seen.
    Basil Dearden got the best out of Rog and Sean imho, in TMWHH and Woman of Straw respectively.
    +1. Hear hear!

    Shame Dearden died so early. I would've loved to see him directing Bond. Had there been a proper Casino Royale effort with Sean Connery in the sixties, he'd have been the most eligible to direct the film.
    I could definitely have endorsed that. I like his style and focus on psychology and characterization.
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