Connery: "Craig is the best James Bond".

Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
edited September 2011 in News Posts: 13,355
He defined Ian Fleming’s classic and cool British spy James Bond on the big screen and as the secret agent’s franchise completes its golden jubilee this year, the original Bond Sean Connery says two Bond flicks old Daniel Craig is the perfect 007. “As James Bond completes his golden jubilee on the screen, I will define him not as a mere Casanova, who loves to kill but a suave and intelligent saviour of mankind, who has battled life in every aspect valiantly,” the 81-year-old says over telephone from California, adding, “Daniel Craig is the best James Bond I have witnessed — confident and reflexive.”

Ask him about his other successors and Sir Sean, who portrayed the suave spy in six installments says Roger Moore “was too stylised”. The octogenarian also talks about his success post Bond.

“Performing James Bond was certainly not my greatest histrionic challenge. But it established me surely as a star of merit and helped me to achieve a strong foothold in Hollywood. As Bond, I had to practice a lot of action, martial arts and swift movements to match the secret agent’s skills,” he says, while naming Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Thunder Ball his favourite Bond flick.

Prod him about his love scenes as Bond and he says, “Love scenes in Bond films were just meant to be.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Craig-is-the-best-Bond/Article1-741134.aspx
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Comments

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    You can be modest all you want Sean, we all know you're the best. Great to see you in good spirits. ;-)
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Sorry Sean, but

    image

    The best Bond is behind you !!
  • Posts: 1,497
    I question the validity of that story. There hasn't been a word out of Connery in months, maybe even a year, yet he's willing to do a phone interview with Hindustan Times?? Seems unlikely that he'd make time out of his golf schedule in the Bahamas to grant them an interview.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited September 2011 Posts: 28,694
    Hey, you're right @DC007!!!

    image
  • Posts: 1,492
    Interesting that Connery cites TB as one of his favourite Bond films. I always thought TB was the beginning of him getting tired with the role. i remember him being quoting saying you dont have to act you just have to survive the knocks in TB and I am not sure he even turned up for the London premiere. Maybe he just liked working with Terence Young?

    As for Craig. Yes, him in CR is the best Bond performance. Its three dimensional and exciting. With Connerys own perfromance in FRWL as the next best. Then Tim in TLD.

    My humble opnion of course.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited September 2011 Posts: 13,355
    I question the validity of that story. There hasn't been a word out of Connery in months, maybe even a year, yet he's willing to do a phone interview with Hindustan Times?? Seems unlikely that he'd make time out of his golf schedule in the Bahamas to grant them an interview.
    I too thought this which is why I posted it. I'd like to think this is true but maybe some further checking is needed.
  • edited September 2011 Posts: 76
    SIR SEAN CONNERY.
    Like SUPERMAN,
    We will Always think of CHRISTOPHER REEVE as SUPERMAN.
    Everyone after that has to meet his standard.
    As everyone knows, the Producers originally wanted Cary Grant.
    As much as I acknowledge GRANT'S Excellence, especially in "North by Nortwest" (1959), with Eva Marie Saint, (MGM),
    and perhaps EVEN THE VERY FIRST of this GENDRE....
    "AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING"
    CONNERY IS BOND.
    But he is such an EXCEPTIONAL and Versatile ARTIST....
    He did what he could.
    Thanks Sir Sean for your EMMENSE CONTRIBUTION to this FILM NOIR.
    YOU SET THE BAR LIMIT.
    The others have to work at it.
    I LIKE THEM ALL.
    ALL 6 BOND ACTORS have been fabulously successful.
    BOND.........ONLY BOND.
    Wouldn't you love to see one scene when all 6 Bond Actors appear in the same film?
    They all still LIVE.
  • j7wildj7wild Suspended
    Posts: 823
    shouldn't Sean be saying: " I AM the BEST Bond and there will never be anyone like me!!"?!?
  • edited September 2011 Posts: 76
    Sir Sean Connery, is the BOLD yet HUMBLE Scottsman.
    The Very Definition of NOBILTY is STRENGTH and HUMILITY.
    They learned this at the BATTLE OF ABERDEEN in 0078 against General Agricola of the Roman XIX (9th Legion).
    ON THE CONTRARY.....
    Sir Sean is a KNIGHT.
    He will always say....
    THE NEW GUY IS THE BEST BOND.
    Remember the BOND Coat of Arms:
    HMSS,
    TWINE,
    "ORBIS NON SUFFICIT"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bond-coat-of-arms_(semi-fictional).svg,
    THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH.
  • I question the validity of that story. There hasn't been a word out of Connery in months, maybe even a year, yet he's willing to do a phone interview with Hindustan Times?? Seems unlikely that he'd make time out of his golf schedule in the Bahamas to grant them an interview.
    Matt LeBlanc had a great litmus test for whether an interview is true or not - he said to read the quotes out loud and ask yourself if anyone speaks that way. A lot of false quotes are written to get an idea across without taking into account the speaking patterns that people have.

    Having said that, the first sentence that Connery supposedly said sounds incredibly awkward and leads me to believe that he never said it. It's the way that people write but not the way they speak. The only way I could believe he said it is if they were prepared remarks at some sort of presentation.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    I don't understand the first sentence. It makes no sense. It is written like Connery is saying he is playing the role presently. I'm confused. And he would never say jubilee.
  • I don't understand the first sentence. It makes no sense. It is written like Connery is saying he is playing the role presently. I'm confused. And he would never say jubilee.
    I agree, and would he even be able to pronounce 'reflexive' ?
    Don't mean to be cycnical but this sounds cobbled together, to coin a phrase.



  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Interesting that Connery cites TB as one of his favourite Bond films. I always thought TB was the beginning of him getting tired with the role. i remember him being quoting saying you dont have to act you just have to survive the knocks in TB and I am not sure he even turned up for the London premiere. Maybe he just liked working with Terence Young?
    I can easily understand his affection for TB. It's the only big budget/Panavision entry in the series that benefits from Terence Young's classy direction. Plus, it features Connery at his most superconfident in the role along with the most beautiful gallery of Bond girls to appear in a single Bond film.
    IAs for Craig. Yes, him in CR is the best Bond performance. Its three dimensional and exciting. With Connerys own perfromance in FRWL as the next best. Then Tim in TLD.

    My humble opnion of course.
    I definitely agree with Tim's TLD performance as being one of the best Bond performances ever.

  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,266
    Connery saying ' reflekshive', yeah, I think he could ;) Anyway, I doubt it's real. I do faguely remember him saying somewhere he liked FRWL,DN and TB best, so I think it's a bit made up from other interviews. Whick makes his statements about Craig fairly unbelievable.
    TB was his best performence imo. It's AFTER Thunderball he's had enough.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Of course they're also Young's films and we know Connery liked Young an awful lot. No surprise they top his list. The style in those films is there for all to see.
  • Connery must be going a bit senile if he genuinely believes Craig was the best of the other five actors to portray the secret agent, no one can knock the former for everything he contributed to the franchise especially in the earlier episodes, Connery will always be synonymous with everything that most neutrals would expect of a James Bond character or indeed Movie, but as stated, by the time of 1967's You Only Live Twice it was becoming clear that maybe his enthusiasm was on the decline

    Say it again that I do feel Mr Dalton was the best 007, only two releases but it brought a hard edged reality that audiences craved, more so after the often mundane exercises with Moore in the role

    But Craig best Bond?, someone's had too many Vodka Martinis for sure




  • JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
    Posts: 1,380
    If these quotes from Connery in the Hindustan Times are real, I'll eat my shoe.
  • j7wildj7wild Suspended
    Posts: 823
    If these quotes from Connery in the Hindustan Times are real, I'll eat my shoe.
    considering the source, I would take them with a grain of salt



  • JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
    Posts: 1,380
    Furthermore, Connery doesn't call California home.
  • Posts: 2,107
    Connery must be going a bit senile if he genuinely believes Craig was the best of the other five actors to portray the secret agent, no one can knock the former for everything he contributed to the franchise especially in the earlier episodes, Connery will always be synonymous with everything that most neutrals would expect of a James Bond character or indeed Movie, but as stated, by the time of 1967's You Only Live Twice it was becoming clear that maybe his enthusiasm was on the decline

    Say it again that I do feel Mr Dalton was the best 007, only two releases but it brought a hard edged reality that audiences craved, more so after the often mundane exercises with Moore in the role

    But Craig best Bond?, someone's had too many Vodka Martinis for sure





    Awwww... someone doesn't like Craig. There there... I will make the boogie man go away.

    Really. Even though this interview might not be real, it is insulting that you think someone might have had one too many vodka martini's if he or she likes Craig. I mean reee-heee-aaalll-llyyyy. Comon!

  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    "confident and reflexive". I like it.

    Regardless of whether Connery said this or not I find this more or less spot on.

    Connery was once quoted as saying that playing the role of Bond wasn't as easy as some people made out. It took as much skill to play Bond as to play Shakespeare. Which is why some actors have struggled to nail it. Bond has to be cool, dangerous (without needing to pull daft faces) and confident (when he walks in to a casino you are only looking at him, not the decor). Connery nailed it.

    I know I keep saying this, and I'm sorry, but really Dalton's jerky, troubled Bond while being a different and therefore welcome take on the character, wasn't really what the cinematic Bond was about. And even if it was he was never cool or dangerous (IMHO).

    Craig gets it.
  • Sorry NicNac, DC just refined what TD began. And for the love of god and all things holy we were robbed of a truly fantastic Bond film in GE with TD as Bond. My god I dream of it day and night, even when I'm making passionate love.

    Craig does get it but Tim got it first.

  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Sorry NicNac, DC just refined what TD began. And for the love of god and all things holy we were robbed of a truly fantastic Bond film in GE with TD as Bond. My god I dream of it day and night, even when I'm making passionate love.

    Craig does get it but Tim got it first.

    :-)) Your poor partner. Hope you don't scream "TIM I LOVE YOU" at the top of your voice. ;-)
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Sorry NicNac, DC just refined what TD began. And for the love of god and all things holy we were robbed of a truly fantastic Bond film in GE with TD as Bond. My god I dream of it day and night, even when I'm making passionate love.

    Craig does get it but Tim got it first.

    :-)) Your poor partner. Hope you don't scream "TIM I LOVE YOU" at the top of your voice. ;-)
    Or he screams 'WHAT"S MY NAME?!' and she shouts 'BOND, JAMES BOND!!!'. So sorry @forgotmyusername. That got weird.
  • edited September 2011 Posts: 11,189
    I know I said I'd take a break but I couldn't help myself reading through the posts. Re-watching CR again the other night made me realise just how good Craig is (or at least has the potential to be providing he doesn't make another QoS).

    Dalton was a solid Bond and a solid actor (a very good one indeed), but that funnily enough is the problem. He's an "actor" at heart. Connery, Moore, Lazenby, Brosnan and Craig all had a cockiness and a slightly arrogant manner about them, which they played up to on film (maybe not so much Moore but even he had a super-cool charm). You believed that they WERE partly like Bond in real life. I can't quite put my finger on it but there is just something a bit "actor-ly" about Dalton's manner. Funnily enough I think he was actually a lot more entertaining in films like Hot Fuzz. He seemed to be having a lot more fun in that film (I remember him saying in an audio commentary that he throughly enjoyed working on that film - epecially shooting a gun out of a police car window while travelling at high speed). I think that's the key, whether you're a "darker" Bond or a "lighter" Bond you need to look like you are having fun.

    I've quoted this interview from Total Film so many times by the all-time great Sean Connery:

    On other actors who have played Bond:
    Timothy Dalton has Shakespearean training, but he underestimated the role. The character has to be graceful and move well and have a certain measure of charm as well as be dangerous. Pierce Brosnan’s a good actor. He’s added some new elements to it.

    Part of me can believe he actually said this. Would anyone like to argue with the person who first brought the character to life in 1962?

    I don't mean to sound Anti-Dalton. I DO like him (he's a FAR better actor than GL) and would agree that he's closer to Fleming but there is just that "something" he lacks onscreen IMO (at least at that time).
  • "confident and reflexive". I like it.

    Regardless of whether Connery said this or not I find this more or less spot on.

    Connery was once quoted as saying that playing the role of Bond wasn't as easy as some people made out. It took as much skill to play Bond as to play Shakespeare.
    I agree, that (ficitious) quote sums up Craig nicely.

    And I also agree that regardless of the type of part you're playing, playing it well is as difficult as any other. The things that you need - complexity, conviction, presence, originality, ability to hold an audience's interest and surprise them with your choices - pertains to ANY part regardless of genre or "seriousness".

    I do love Dalton's Bond but agree that Craig gives an even more well-rounded performance. But both showed in their first film that you can take a character that had been around a long time and still make it fresh and interesting, and even more importantly, three dimensional. Dalton had a wonderful way of always showing the subtext which made his Bond much more of a thinking man, but some people took that as "too much" and would have prefered a more subtle approach. I like it but do see how some people find it theatrical.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Agree with @thelordflasheart as ever, and @BAIN123 your Connery quote about Dalton was the one I was vaguely remembering when I posted Connery's opinion on playing Bond. Thanks for finding that, I knew I recalled something along those lines.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited September 2011 Posts: 13,355
    These points to me only confirm that my view of Craig being a Connery-Dalton hybrid are in some way true. He seems to get certain elements Dalton was unable to or didn't get the chance to show though I still prefer Dalton overall.

    The upcoming Bond 23 could let Craig leave his Bond mark on the series for good though many think he already has. This will be a proper 'Bond' film after all so let's so how he does. He'll in this sense be on an equal footing with Dalton. I hope Craig does bring the " thinking man" element back to the series as I've really missed it and feel it's much needed and if this is aided with a confrontation scene or other such ideas he could shine and be much better than Dalton was or dare I say even rival Connery.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Craig will never beat Connery's interpretation. Connery's Bond is cemented forever at the top spot for not only me but the majority of fans alike.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,266
    Perhaps for hardcore fans. But I know many who grew up with Moore or Brosnan hold those actors in higher place.
    Allthough I love Connery's films, especially the Terence Young ones (not much of a fan of the others) I can see Craig take over the top spot for me. We'll just have to see what B23 will be.
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