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Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,315
    007HallY wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Wasn't he not keen on Connery until his wife told him he'd be fine? Maybe it's just an urban legend. But if true, it would be another proof that what men consider manly and attractive and what women consider manly and attractive are two different things. Something I noticed after Craig's casting too.

    Anyway, didn't Fleming want David Niven as Bond? That would have been another seemingly "safe" choice: established actor, a star even, a typical English gentleman, etc. But I think it would have been catastrophic to the franchise, that may not have gone beyond DN.

    He may not have been too keen initially, but I don’t know how true the ‘balding Scottish lorry driver’ quote is. Didn’t know that story about his wife either (I’ve heard a version where it’s Cubby’s wife who finds Connery good looking so they decide to meet with him. It still plays into what we’ve been talking about as you said). Publicly at least I think Fleming was relatively supportive of Connery.

    From what I understand Fleming suggested a few names for Bond early on (I think it was the likes of Richard Burton, James Mason and James Stewart). One of them might have been Niven, although I don’t know if he was his first choice - Niven was, after all, more of a light drama/comedic actor so it would have been an odd choice. And he was in his 50s so was probably too old anyway. Definitely agree, he wouldn’t have been the right choice and without a lead like Connery Bond wouldn’t have taken off as it did.

    David Niven (who was mentioned in the novel YOLT by the way) as Bond would have made DN a somewhat darker, more serious Pink Panther. Without Peter Sellers.
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