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Favourite Guy Who Played FELIX

JB007LTKJB007LTK
edited April 2011 in Bond Movies Posts: 76
First Guy to Play CIA Operative and Ally of BOND.
Jack Lord, Dr. No. He later becomes Detective Steve McGarett of Hawaii 5-0
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Comments

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    I took the liberty of changing your chosen title for this thread, @JB. I hope you don't mind.

    I myself prefer Lord and Van Nutter. Both had a certain chemistry going with Connery that unmistakably demonstrated true mutual respect and a also a shared taste for the good of life. Plus, they always seemed to be of consenting age and energy, which wasn't always the case, e.g. with Hedison and Dalton.

    I do have to admit, however, that Wright is working himself up my list. If they really develop his character well, by which I mean well in accordance with the novels, he might just become my favourite Leiter.

    PS: I've created a poll for this.

  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Jack "McGarrett" Lord is the coolest Felix Leiter of them all. David Hedison is a close 2nd.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987

    1. Jack Lord (DN) portrays him as serious, intelligent and enjoys a good on screen chemistry with Connery's Bond.
    2. Rik Van Nutter (TB) looks the part but comes across as dull, slightly stupid and more of a surfing dude than a CIA operative.
    3. Jeffrey Wright (CR, QOS) despite looking nothing like Fleming's character he's a well written, fully rounded, smart, calculating character.
    4. David Hedison (LALD,LTK) enjoys a good rapport with both Moore and Dalton yet is not given enough to do in LALD and too old for the role by LTK.
    5. John Terry (TLD) Appearance so brief and inconsequential that he doesn't have the screentime to develop the character.
    6.Norman Burton (DAF) Too old, too grumpy.
    7.Cec Linder (GF) Way too old to be playing Leiter, would be more suitable playing his boss...or his grandad!
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Jack Lord is hands down the best of the lot though I love Hedison and Wright as well. I hope Felix has a much bigger role in Bond 23.
  • RogueThunderballRogueThunderball
    Posts: 306
    I really have been pleasantly surprised by Jeffrey Wright. I think he's the best pure actor of all of them, and if his character is utilized more in Bond 23 I think he'll easily take the top spot for me.
  • CipherCipher
    Posts: 128
    Jack Lord set the standard and Wright is a very close second for me. One of the strengths of QOS is that the film fleshes out Leiter a little and laid more of the groundwork of the Bond-Leiter friendship. In CR Leiter backed Bond because that was his best chance of getting his job done, but in QOS we see Leiter put his loyalty to Bond above the job.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,108
    1. Rik Van Nutter
    2. Jack Lord
    3. John Terry
  • lecherolechero
    Posts: 161
    1. Jack Lord
    2. Jeffrey Wright
    3. Rik Van Nutter
    4. David Hedison
    5. John Terry
    6. Cec Linder
    7. Norman Burton
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited April 2011 Posts: 24,157
    Quoting GoldenGun: 3. John Terry
    Wow, golden gun, curious choice. Not even Terry himself liked that performance. In fact, he once grew annoyed with me constantly asking him about Bond during a Q&A, wondering if anyone could - please - make him forget about it. :P
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    My vote is for Bernie Casey. He didn't seem to make the list though. :-(

    Out of the rest, I'll take Jack Lord.

    Funny story there @DarthDimi!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    Quoting JBFan626: Funny story there @DarthDimi!
    The man was there to talk about Lost. And all those Lost related questions came and went. I couldn't care less. So in an act of boldness, I started a question, "When you played Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights, did you" - to which he interrupted: "I don't wanna talk about that. I'm not here for that." That was slightly hypocrite, as he sold expensive pictures with his signature, some of them showing him next to Dalton in TLD. Anyway, the talk about Lost went on, I got bored again, and so here I went for take 2. "Do you feel that playing a part in a Bond film had some impact on your career?" And again came the bitterness: "Why the **** do you remind me about that? It's one of those things I'd rather forget. I didn't like it at all - bad script, terrible lines, annoying people." I suppose he really did not like being Leiter in TLD. :P
  • Alan007Alan007
    edited April 2011 Posts: 406
    I liked David hedison, and wright, but maybe thats because they've simply been in two films each :D Any reason why they couldn't get a regular actor to play Felix like M, Q Moneypenny etc
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987
    I think they had always intended to have a regular returning actor to play Felix, but when the first actor Jack Lord was asked to reprise his role in Goldfinger he demanded co star billing, a bigger role and lots more money so the part went to a miscast Cec Linder. When original director Terrance Young returned to the series with Thunderball he recast Rick Van Nutter as a much younger and good looking Felix more in line with both Ian Fleming's version and Lord's portrayal in Dr No. Rick Van Nutter was actually signed up on a three picture contract but regrettably the writers could find no place for him in either You Only Live Twice or On Her Majesty's Secret Service. By the time of Diamonds Are Forever it was felt that the rapidly ageing Connery needed a suitably matching weathered Leiter so the part went to Norman Burton who's portrayal was more reminiscent of Linder's.
    In Live And Let Die with a brand new Bond came a yet another brand new Leiter and as Roger Moore and David Hedison were good friends the on-screen chemistry worked well despite the Leiter role being underwritten ( as per usual). Incredibly the character didn't make another appearance for the next six films ( apart from Bernie Casey's role in the unofficial NSNA) and it was 14 years later when John Terry took over the role in an almost blink and you'd miss him cameo in The Living Daylights before David Hedison made Bond history by being the first actor to return to the role in Licence To Kill, the reasons for his return are believed to be that as the Felix role was integral to the story it was felt that a recognisable and proved Leiter was needed.
    Perhaps mindful of the constant recasting issues regarding the character it was felt that for the Brosnan years Bond needed a brand new CIA companion Jack Wade.
    Felix returned to the series in Casino Royale with Jeffrey Wright now having played him in two consecutive films and it's thought that he will be returning to the role in future films, but then again considering the history who knows...
  • Gaz1961Gaz1961
    Posts: 117
    The lack of consistency in casting Leiter has always pissed me off. I don't think the guy in DAF was that bad, just not Fleming's Felix. My favourite has always been Nutter but Wright might overtake him if he's as good in 23 as he has been in the last two.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited April 2011 Posts: 7,108
    Quoting DarthDimi: Wow, golden gun, curious choice. Not even Terry himself liked that performance.
    In fact, he once grew annoyed with me constantly asking him about Bond during a
    Q&A, wondering if anyone could - please - make him forget about it. :P
    Well, his Felix looked like a bloke you'd like to have a drink with. That's why I liked it.

    An honourable mention would go to the hilarious Benrie Casey in NSNA, I really liked his Felix too. Same goes for Jeffrey Wright in the latest movies because he gives the character slightly more depth.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Mine is probably David Hedison in Live and Let Die. He really has this friendship with Roger's Bond that wasn't necessarily seen in the Connery movies. Plus, he just really fit the role of Felix well, but I don't think he should have returned for LTK. By then, he looked to old next to Timothy and wasn't really up to his best.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Jack Lord, the coolest Leiter of them all. "Book em, James-0!"
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    Jack Lord of course... Althought I liked Hedison and Wright.
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    Norman Burton deserves more respect than he gets. His Felix had one of the bigger roles in DAF. His "good 'ol boys" charm was unmatched and perfect for the Vegas setting.

    Felix Leiter: I give up. I know the diamonds are in the body, but where?
    James Bond: Alimentary, Dr. Leiter...

  • dragonskydragonsky
    Posts: 2,491
    John Terry
  • Agent005Agent005
    edited May 2012 Posts: 562
    1. Jack Lord
    2. David Hedison
    3. Jeffrey Wright
    4. Bernie Casey
    5. Rik Van Nutter
    6. Cec Linder
    7. John Terry
    8. Norman Burton
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    John Terry
    Haha you never cease to make interesting choices, dragonsky !! :-bd
  • dragonskydragonsky
    Posts: 2,491
    John Terry
    Haha you never cease to make interesting choices, dragonsky !! :-bd
    lol i think he was ok in matter of fact i think that he would made great leiter right now

  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    I remember reading many years ago that if Cec Linder's performance could have been put into Van Nutter's body then you'd have the perfect Leiter (this was a book about the Bond movies that I read in the early to mid-80's).

    I quite liked Linder's performance but agreed that he was too old. Apparently quite a nice fellow and I saw him in a play once - quite a good, funny performance.

    So far I've been quite impressed by Wright's performance. I'd love to see him and Craig's Bond kicking back and relaxing in a scene in a future film.
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    edited June 2011 Posts: 2,629
    1. David Hedison (LTK)
    2. Jack Lord (DN)
    3. Rik Van Nutter (TB)
    4. Jeffrey Wright (QOS)
    5. David Hedison (LALD)
    6. Jeffrey Wright (CR)
    7. Cec Linder (GF)
    8. Norman Burton (DAF)
    9. John Terry (TLD)
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    I think that John Terry's Felix was wasted completely in TLD. Only two small scenes, both of which didn't last more than two minutes.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    I think that John Terry's Felix was wasted completely in TLD. Only two small scenes, both of which didn't last more than two minutes.
    4 minutes too long, actually...

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    It's not just Terry who doesn't get any votes here, but Linder and Burton as well. Out of those three, I still prefer Linder.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    I still prefer Linder.
    The most useless Felix, you mean ? He just sits around for 2 hours.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    I still prefer Linder.
    The most useless Felix, you mean ? He just sits around for 2 hours.
    No more or less than Burton. It's Linder's hat that does it for me.

    Seriously, Burton's performance is annoying. Could be that most secondary characters in DAF are played so well that Burton merely has to face off fierce competition.

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