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Comments
Your point about McConaughey is well taken. I noticed that he went quiet for a while earlier in his career, and presumably that was so he could reposition himself for more critically preferable roles. It worked out for him - fortunately - but was risky.
Regarding accents, not being in the industry I don't know either way. I hope the casting and film directors spread their wings and seek out talent that the general public may not expect. That's when we get pleasantly surprised by the eventual result and where it is unpredictable, which is always a good thing in my book. Having said that, as you note, accents aren't always easy to learn. It takes time and coaching, and some may just not be able to pull it off convincingly despite that. So I wouldn't be surprised if few would be given a chance without advance proof that they could do it.
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I generally agree. I'm a fan of a lean look in general. I was more thinking in terms of public expectations these days. I also am a big proponent of fight choreography and think it can make a world of difference. As an example, Fassbender wasn't particularly built when he went at it with Gina Carano in Haywire, and it's one heck of a fight despite this.
Also, I think Jamie Dornan has something. But he looks weird without a beard...
Good point. Haven't actually thought about that, but you're probably right – he did have a Fleming Bond quality to his looks in Haywire.
A Swedish Bond? Why not! Alexander Skarsgård – like his father, is a good actor, and wouldn't be a bad pick. At 1,94 m, he would certainly have the physicality on his side too. The major issue (if you look past that he isn't at all a Brit or of Commonwealth origin), is that he's 42 years old.
I'm not keen on Dornan I'm afraid.
What do folks think of Sam Heughan? I posted his interview from a few days back earlier where he said he auditioned for the part in 2005. Did others know about that? It was certainly news to me.
Saw that interview the other day. I've never seen Heughan in anything so I can't say much about his acting. I don't think he remotely looks like a Bond in that interview though. Says he's auditioned for CR. He must have been only about 25 at the time.
That said though, get rid of the beard, give him a proper Fleming-esque Bond haircut and put him in a well tailored suit ( not one that's too small), and I think he may have more potential that some of the other names mentioned.
Part of what's turning me away from so many of these names are today's fashions, which, IMO are pretty far removed from Bond. Ryan Seacrest's wardrobe in that interview for instance looks typical of what we're seeing today. Put Pierce Brosnan in that outfit and I think he'd probably look ridiculous. In fact Seacrest looks like a guy nearing middle age who is trying to look young and trendy. Heughan doesn't look much like Bond in the outfit he was sporting. This is probably why I have to really squint to see Bondian potential in most of the names mentioned.
This goes to show that not everything is leaked and that the number of actors who actually do an a audition is larger than it would appear.
Now I’m sure there’s a difference between an audition and a formal screentest.
I agree with you on today's attire as well. This slim pant/jacket look only works aesthetically on some imho. It's not for everyone. I personally prefer a regular cut myself.
That's a good point, and I wonder what exactly he was referring to (test vs. audition). It seems as though they cast quite a wide net in 2005 due to the nature of the reboot. Lots of variety, with the likes of Cavill, Heughan, Jackman and Craig in the mix, among others.
Toby could have been good imho. I realize he hammed it up for DAD, but he has something to him.
Toby Stephens would have been a great Bond, IMO. Shame he's already played a villain.
Re. Heughan: I wonder how far he got, and what EON thought of his audition. Never seen him in anything, unfortunately.
Except bond would have just been a cary grant character instead of his own identity.
According to Wikipedia, they considered more than 200 actors. Not all of them were screentested, I believe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_Royale_(2006_film)#Casting
There really is no reason there can’t be both; it would obviously require the right directors and writers, but more importantly the right actor. Jackman is one of the few that can pull this off effortlessly, and is as skilled with the lighter material as he is being one of the most intimidating actors in film today. It’s rare that one person can skillfully pull of both.
I would have probably preferred him, or another fellow Aussie who was linked, Eric Bana, to Craig. Alas we got who did and most where pleased.
'I just felt at the time that the scripts has become so unbelievable and crazy, and I felt like they needed to become grittier and real.'
So, I'm not sure Mr. Jackman would have wanted lighter material, in this alternative universe of he being Bond. I can see him being very clear on what he wanted, and what he wanted is where the series went anyways. If anything, I can see him doing more of the throw away lines of Connery, not anything remotely close to resembling Moore or Brosnan.
However, I'm wondering how serious EoN was on him, since the Bond talk seems to be nothing more than a conversation he had with his agent, and not necessarily anything close to a sit down with Barbara, Michael, or anyone at EoN.
But I agree, he's an amazing actor and would have made a brilliant 007.
@ClarkDevlin That's the one.