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As for Craig, I believe that while he was a favourite of at least BB (I think she legitimately looks for actors even when there’s an incumbent Bond and seemed to notice Craig as early as 2001) it’s worth saying producers will always say in hindsight that their chosen candidate was at the top of their list all along. It’s what Cubby said about Dalton despite Brosnan's initial signing. I think in practice it wasn’t quite as stacked in Craig’s favour initially as some of us assume, even if just to find someone to do it if he said no. But it’s also worth saying he was, in many ways, also the safest choice and I think they understood that (just looking at a lot of these names he had more film experience and was a few years older/more established as an actor than many of them, but was still young and physically fit enough to commit to the role. He didn’t have to worry about putting on an accent or anything like that either. Ok, he had blonde hair and was just shy of 6 foot, but as we’ve pointed out he didn’t look a million miles away from Bond either, and he showed he could portray the qualities of the character in his film roles. Put like that he’s less of a risk than someone like Cavill who was much more little known, only in his early 20s, and would seemingly have needed a bit of work to get his performance up to scratch).
Fine actor with plenty of experience, though not a well known choice to international audiences.
Personally he seems like a strange choice had Brosnan not accepted the role.
He would have been 36 for GE, so a good age to do three or four films. I just don’t see him as Bond. But then EON must’ve had some confidence in him if Pierce didn’t take the part.
Have to say, though, this's the first time in 20 years I've heard Craig described as the 'safe choice' to replace Brosnan. I can't see that at all, sorry. Adrian Paul would've been the safe choice - he had the look, the height, the charm, the physicality, the huge fanbase and topped poll after poll in America of who general audiences thought should be the next Bond. If Dan had been a safe choice, he wouldn't have been met with the uproar, turmoil and abuse that he faced between being announced as Bond and the release of CR would he? IMO, obvs.
I think it's worth saying that every decision is a risk in some way, especially casting Bond. But it's all about weighing up everything. They knew Craig could portray Bond (just watching Tomb Raider gives you an idea of what he did with Bond, which is quite fortunate and not necessarily something all actors have in their filmographies). Again right age when looking at the precedent for Bond actors. Good physicality. Actually his acting talent was probably a huge benefit with CR considering what Bond goes through in that film (can you imagine Henry Cavill convincingly expressing some of the stuff Craig does? I can't, even now).
If there was a potential risk to his blonde hair and slightly craggy face (and again, I think you can convincingly look at Craig and find many Bondian qualities in his appearance), I'd say it was outweighed by all of the above. It's also about who the alternatives were in this case. Again, Cavill's a bit flat despite his look and confidence in this tape. If he wasn't up to portraying Bond convincingly in this particular film that'd be a massive risk. At the very least they'd have to ensure the director was up to working with him closely, which isn't a problem Craig has. Also, Cavill's 23 here! What 23 year old can handle the fame that goes with Bond? Not many I'd wager. Even if in hindsight we know Cavill could indeed have handled it, there's no way of knowing he wouldn't imploded at the time. Craig's not a movie star at this point, but he's had his brushes with fame/notoriety, but he's also lesser known enough to convincingly be seen as Bond by the public (and as we've discussed on these forums an actor who's too famous is a risk, and often a bit of a no-no).
I think all things considered he was far more a safe choice than we realise. Probably in the context of this audition cycle the safest one.
I do wonder if they thought there’d be as much ‘backlash’ over his casting. Honestly, I suspect to some extent they didn’t, at least to the extent of that vocal minority. And why would there have been in theory? There’d been a lighter haired Bond before, and even some with craggier faces/a harder edge to their looks (in fact it’s actually a benefit for Bond in many ways). I doubt there’s ever been some mandate saying Bond should only be played by an actor with black hair or whatever. Some of the actors they’d nearly cast years previously haven’t been miles away from Craig (is he much different to Michael Billington for example?)
@QBranch thanks mate
To be honest I don't understand why Hollywood in general tried to make Worthington happen so much back then. He was in all this stuff (Avatar, Terminator, some Zeus thing) without any obvious star quality or charisma, it was quite weird.
He was chubby. Like Sean DAF chubby.
I think what makes a difference with initial auditions is eye contact and how the actor composes themselves. It somewhat explains why Cavill got through - sure, he's flat and rather stiff/misses cue to jokes that require a facial expressions in there, but he's looking at his co-star constantly and interacts with them at all times. It's a sub-par James Bond. But I guess it's James Bond. James Bond never looks away/always has that confident gaze. As much as I rate Friend's performance highly here he was constantly shifting and uneasy. It's not James Bond.
Look at Brosnan doing the same scene in GE. That gaze is tightly on Onatop. He reacts so well to her responses. He not smiling too much but is reacting subtly to her, even if it means a slight nod etc. Craig could do exactly the same during similar scenes to the point it could be from the same playbook. As did Connery, Moore, and Dalton. It's difficult to get into this character. I suspect a lot of actor simply don't have it, and other do to.
Yeah that's exactly my take on it. Cavill is doing the slightly smug, in control, comfortable, amused-by-the-situation thing, and that is James Bond. He is being suave. He's not doing it particularly well, or doing anything surprising with it, but it is Bond. As you say, Friend is playing the scene well, but he's not comfortable, he's not James Bond.
I wonder if you have to get into a mindset playing Bond; basically he's so at ease with how wonderful he is that he's basically going through life amusing himself. He can't be embarrassed, it's not possible.
Brosnan plays this scene as Bond and does it well, and although he admitted himself, he pitched it basically between Sean and Roger, he still adds something new and of himself to it.
Funny thing is I can imagine Craig playing this scene and nailing it. I don't think he'd play up the jokes quite as much as Brosnan, and we're all so used to Pierce's version of this scene we might think it lacking, but I think he'd still be oozing the Bond 'in control' feel more than most of this bunch.
Craig sort of plays this type of scene in SF with Severine. But yes, I think he'd do much better.
You're right, it's a specific mentality to get into playing that scene. I'm not an actor so I don't know what it is for a specific performer. But I think that idea of looking straight at a woman while talking to her (as per this scene) and not looking away or shifting is important for Bond. And if anything that shows why this scene is a good passage to use! If an actor read this scene cold what would they do with it? Probably what we got here.
Hugh fan of early Nip Tuck, I never saw this a an issue…