Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • Posts: 19,339
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    None of these names strike me immediately as Bond. I've warmed to the idea of Cavill, though I do feel he is a bit too bulky. I've only seen Turner remotely look like Bond just in those photos from AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Other than that he looks about as much like Bond as Willie Nelson. Also, I can't see Chris Hemsworth as Bond. I don't see the guy who played Thor in that one Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk TV movie as Bond either.
    All the other names thrown in lately seem to look like members of a '90's boy band.
    How is that Bond?
    Tom Hardy I've warmed to slightly, but overall still feel he is about as much like Bond as Willie Nelson.

    Bit of a Willie Nelson fetish going on there,methinks he he.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJIpbcJ-szQL0sD0Q5cxWd_6ZyT69qi3wQnNWkJN_XtM6OP2AD
  • Posts: 15,116
    peter wrote: »
    We are so far away from the next James Bond casting that I will lay down and be prepared for all your scorn if the following is not true:

    Once B25 comes out there will be a hiatus for Eon that lasts no less than three to four years. But probably five'ish.

    So, every actor being discussed now will either be too old, too famous, or had too many duds...

    I don't think Bond007 is on anyone's radar at the moment (unless via a completely goofy fluke).

    This.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    It will be interesting to see how fans on this forum, and the general public at large, react to a millennial Bond, when he eventually is cast. In my opinion, it will be the riskiest change that the franchise will ever have to make. Attitudes and style today are quite different from what many Bond fans have become accustomed to or what the franchise has espoused, and I can see many being lost as a result, even if new ones are picked up as well.

    This is a business first and foremost, and MGM needs the revenue (I'm pretty sure that's why the B25 move was only to February from October/November - because the box office results will roll into the same 2020 fiscal year either way). Money always talks.

    For this reason I call a much earlier changeover than has been predicted here and will stick to it. No additional four or five year wait in my opinion (that was not by choice).

    That doesn't mean that they won't cast a bit younger next time to appeal to that Gen Y crowd, which is such a big component of the movie going public for action films these days. So let's keep the choices coming. I have no idea who Jeremy Irvine is but will look him up.
  • edited November 2018 Posts: 3,333
    As a younger Bond, Jeremy Irvine isn't such a bad shout. At 6′ 1″ he certainly fulfils the height requirement. His voice isn't too light either and will grow deeper over time, and by the time B26 goes into production he'll most likely be roughly 33-years-old or thereabouts and have a much more lived-in look about him.

    It terms of resume, we can look at Spielberg's War Horse, plus Mike Newell's version of Great Expectations. Of course he's also been in Fallen and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again most recently, but I won't hold that against him. After all, the guy's gotta eat. Looking at past photographs isn't the best way to gauge or judge him either as he's quite young in the majority of them.

    Realistically, Jeremy Irvine is probably the most likely candidate due to his current age, despite me liking some of our present choices on offer.

    I'm almost certain that when Craig eventually stands down, the studio will want to start pre-production on his replacement almost immediately. Though it's an entirely different set of circumstances, one only has to look at the recent Star Trek movies that squandered their momentum and audience goodwill by their long hiatuses, poor story developments which resulted in falling B.O. numbers to see how things can go from success to failure in just 3 movies apart. Sure, there's plenty of reasons why Star Trek failed to capitalise on the success of its first rebooted movie, far too many to put into one paragraph here and stay on topic, but the sentiment is still the same: Deliver the goods and don't take your audience for granted.
  • Posts: 16,162
    barryt007 wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    None of these names strike me immediately as Bond. I've warmed to the idea of Cavill, though I do feel he is a bit too bulky. I've only seen Turner remotely look like Bond just in those photos from AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Other than that he looks about as much like Bond as Willie Nelson. Also, I can't see Chris Hemsworth as Bond. I don't see the guy who played Thor in that one Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk TV movie as Bond either.
    All the other names thrown in lately seem to look like members of a '90's boy band.
    How is that Bond?
    Tom Hardy I've warmed to slightly, but overall still feel he is about as much like Bond as Willie Nelson.

    Bit of a Willie Nelson fetish going on there,methinks he he.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJIpbcJ-szQL0sD0Q5cxWd_6ZyT69qi3wQnNWkJN_XtM6OP2AD

    LOL! I think around the time of SPECTRE with all the Elba internet rumors, I sarcastically posted somewhere that Kenny Rogers would make a better Bond. He looks great in formal attire, has often been behind the gambling tables, and like Elba also sports a beard and is too old to take over.
  • Posts: 15,116
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    None of these names strike me immediately as Bond. I've warmed to the idea of Cavill, though I do feel he is a bit too bulky. I've only seen Turner remotely look like Bond just in those photos from AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Other than that he looks about as much like Bond as Willie Nelson. Also, I can't see Chris Hemsworth as Bond. I don't see the guy who played Thor in that one Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk TV movie as Bond either.
    All the other names thrown in lately seem to look like members of a '90's boy band.
    How is that Bond?
    Tom Hardy I've warmed to slightly, but overall still feel he is about as much like Bond as Willie Nelson.

    Bit of a Willie Nelson fetish going on there,methinks he he.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJIpbcJ-szQL0sD0Q5cxWd_6ZyT69qi3wQnNWkJN_XtM6OP2AD

    LOL! I think around the time of SPECTRE with all the Elba internet rumors, I sarcastically posted somewhere that Kenny Rogers would make a better Bond. He looks great in formal attire, has often been behind the gambling tables, and like Elba also sports a beard and is too old to take over.

    I didn't know he was still alive.
  • Posts: 2,081
    bondjames wrote: »
    Tuulia wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    This is an interesting discussion about accents. I can imagine that industry people, like the rest of us, form impressions of actors based on what they see of them in other roles or in interviews etc. That's perhaps why so many get typecast.

    If so then presumably a distinctive accent, as opposed to one which is more typical, may preemptively eliminate them from consideration for certain roles. After all, how many of these directors are going to go out of their way to determine if an actor can change up his/her accent? I wonder.

    I think pretty much any actor is in danger of being typecast, and they have a lot of responsibility in that themselves as well, in what kinds of roles they seek/take. Most actors probably genuinely care about acting (beyond just paychecks for anything) and have ambition and interest to play different types of roles. Picking similar stuff probably brings further offers of similar stuff. Obviously it isn't simple to just choose different stuff - there may not be much to choose from at all, and actors gotta pay their bills, too. So it can be tricky.

    Typecasting can happen to anyone starting out, as well as to anyone known for a certain thing or who has been particularly successful at something if they let it happen.
    See for instance Matthew McConaughey and romantic comedies; apparently successful (god knows why, absolutely terrible movies), so the offers kept coming and he accepted, and made money - pretty easy, but ultimately boring and unsatisfying I suppose. When he then started saying no to those movies, it took a while for him to start getting much other, completely different and more demanding stuff offered again. Since he already had the money, he could afford to wait. Not everyone ever has that luxury, but actors also have a responsibility themselves as well in what they do in the first place. (McConaughey chose to get into that rut himself.)
    They tried to (somewhat) typecast Christian Bale once upon a time - thank goodness for Mary Harron; problem sorted. But the actor needed to really want it, too - first to get to do it (not a simple process, even after convincing the director), and then to deliver. But typecasting is a bitch, who'd wanna be a slave to it if they can avoid it, so fighting to be free from it is worth it.

    For some reason (I hate to say laziness and lack of imagination, but what else?) many directors (the same with everyone else) often see actors in roles that at least somewhat resemble something they've done before. - Regardless of accent. - So getting to do something entirely different may require a director with more imagination or insight. It's hard to prove you can do something very different from what you've done before if nobody believes you can and actually lets you do it.

    Now, about accents... I find it hard to believe that directors - and casting directors - would mostly just assume that an actor likely can't do another accent unless they have proof. Accents are often a part of an actors job after all, and the information is surely provided anyway, and most (I think most) directors do auditions anyway. I don't think they'd need to "go out of their way" to find out about an actor's ability with accents anymore than to find out about their ability to otherwise fit the potential role.

    And actors don't just magically acquire accents anyway, they learn them when they need to, and that's why dialect coaches exist. Some actors just either aren't very good at that stuff, or don't bother, but the assumption surely should rather be that actors learn accents, like they learn the other stuff they need for a role, rather than "oh, they speak like that there, I suppose that's the only accent they can do." Productions hire dialect coaches, just like they hire people to teach actors choreography whether dancing or fighting, to teach them to handle horses, guns, whatever.
    I agree with your points. I think it probably is incumbent upon the actor to seek out diverse roles, although agree also that it may be difficult practically, as they live paycheck to paycheck and may have to take what they get at the start in order to make ends meet, even if that means being typecast. I suppose it's a balance.

    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.

    About McConaughey: He started his career doing varied stuff, and I suppose just got both more famous and more wealthy at one point with romantic comedies, so he accepted more of them within a few years, but it's not like he didn't have choice. That was his own choice, as was then to stop taking those roles. He had started with other stuff, and had kept doing other stuff, so I don't think it was particularly risky for him to start saying no to those particular roles. He had done plenty other type of work, plus had financial security by then with which to wait for roles he wanted. Some actors can get into a similar rut with, say action movies. Or comedies. Or whatever. Like you said, it is indeed a balance, but actors themselves can also tip that balance by their own choices. If one only ever gets bit parts every now and then and not much money, then there may indeed not be much to choose from role-wise. But if one gets even one big success, and then chooses similar stuff because it's "easier"/"safer"/or just better paid, then that's the choice they make not because they have to, but because they choose to.

    As for "I wouldn't be surprised if few would be given a chance without advance proof that they could do it." Of course. Some proof seems reasonable like other proof of being suitable for the role. Previous work and auditions can be used for that. - But also, like was previously pointed out - it doesn't always work; bad accents still happen.

    bondjames wrote: »
    I prefer to gain a judgment on an actor's suitability based on what I see of their performances rather than a still photo, which can sometimes be misleading. A photo can certainly give some indication, but I've encountered too many instances of people looking good in photos and failing to ignite onscreen.

    This I very much agree with. It's also possible to find photos about anyone that are unflattering or in some way make them look unsuitable for a role if one wishes to present them that way. Lighting, angle, hair, posture, expression etc. can make a huge difference. Pretty much any actor can also look like several different people anyway, depending on various stuff, so there's also that...

    peter wrote: »
    We are so far away from the next James Bond casting that I will lay down and be prepared for all your scorn if the following is not true:

    Once B25 comes out there will be a hiatus for Eon that lasts no less than three to four years. But probably five'ish.

    So, every actor being discussed now will either be too old, too famous, or had too many duds...

    I don't think Bond007 is on anyone's radar at the moment (unless via a completely goofy fluke).

    Oh yes. People keep discussing even actors who are already in their 40s now. Surely too old to start a tenure several years from now.
    maibaum wrote: »
    Armie Hammer

    People do suggest non-Brits, but hardly ever Americans, interestingly. I suspect many would object to him because of that alone. Personally I wouldn't have objections to any actor based on nationality, but at least Bond shouldn't sound American. I have no idea if Armie can do a good British accent or could learn to. He sure has a damn fine voice, though... Age-wise (32) might be pretty ideal. Taller than most (6'5") -for whom that is essential. Fit, but not excessively built, boxes for fun and fitness. Looks good in a suit - or in pretty much anything (or nothing). Charming and funny. Versatile. A hard worker, a lovely person. A trained actor with even theatre experience - for those who think that sort of thing is important.

    I can at least imagine him in the role - as long as he'd learn the accent. Though I'm not at all sure he'd even be interested in this sort of a job at this point, but then again I don't expect he'll be asked anyway. Which is just as well - I think he's happier as he is. Getting wife and kids to where he's shooting a movie for a few weeks is more simple than trying to juggle family life with some huge production that shoots in multiple places/countries over multiple months (I always wonder how anyone with family manages that tbh).

    In short, I have huge respect for him, and I think he's wonderful, talented and in many ways theoretically suitable. But no, I really don't think so. I don't even want so; I rather he keep doing what he's been doing recently.
  • Posts: 3,333
    I wouldn't be at all surprised if Armie Hammer can do a decent English accent. After all, he did spend a good chunk of his childhood on the Cayman Islands due to father being a tax exile there. Yep, Hammer has very a privileged background and comes from good ole American money. He's not the only actor in the US to come from a hugely wealthy family: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rooney and Kate Mara also spring to mind. Funnily enough, I'd have thought Hammer would be the natural choice to takeover Affleck as Batman in Matt Reeves upcoming movie more than Bond. I certainly don't see him as a serious contender for Bond. I mean, how bizarre would it be should Hammer get the role over Cavill (his UNCLE co-star) who is more of a natural fit than Armie is? Nah, in all honesty, I think Hammer is as likely to be 007 as Elba.
  • Posts: 15,116
    Decent isn't good enough. He needs to sound British like a native. Otherwise forget about it.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Actresses are often better at performing with British accents than actors are, unfortunately.
  • Posts: 3,333
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Decent isn't good enough. He needs to sound British like a native. Otherwise forget about it.
    I agree. I know some will try and split hairs and say there's no such thing as a British accent, but I think it's more than just the accent. It's the sensibility that comes with being British or born here in the UK which just can't be faked. Let's just pretend for one second that Hammer was cast, then it would end up feeling phoney and the Britishness one-dimensional. I'm sure Hammer has his fans and believe that he's a great actor that could pull it off. Alas, I do not.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,206
    While on the subject of accents, and for fans of ( the real) Magnum P.I I was bowled over when I found out that the actor, John Hillerman, who played Higgins, was from Texas. To my ear he sounded authentic as a Brit and even seemed to have the right attitude. Any thoughts?
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Agreed, @talos7. John Hillerman's Queen's English did feel very authentic and his portrayal of an Englishman could've fooled me. He was a terrific thespian.

    He even played Dr. Watson opposite Edward Woodward's Sherlock Holmes in a British production, that would sum up how good he was as an Englishman despite being a Texan.
  • edited November 2018 Posts: 3,333
    John Hillerman is an interesting American actor to bring up. A little research informs me that when he first started out as an actor, he travelled to New York where it took him a year to lose his Texan drawl, studying elocution under the tutelage of voice coach Fanny Bradshaw (who encouraged him to listen to recordings of Laurence Olivier reciting "Hamlet"). There was a time when American actors used to sound less American. Listen to Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Gregory Peck, Burt Lancaster. They don't particular sound that American, and probably with good reason. Voice coaches would work with the actors to iron out any regional accents and improve their enunciation. Hillerman's well-heeled British accent is indeed serviceable. What gives him away is that as an Englishman I would've heard of Hillerman before he'd made Magnum P.I. or would've at least seen him in something British-made, such as The New Avengers, The Sweeney or The Professionals, but as I recalled seeing him in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, I knew immediately that he wasn't the genuine article. However, I think he gives a pretty decent upper-class accent without sounding too effete.
  • Blofeld0064Blofeld0064 Milford, Michigan
    Posts: 243
    https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a24672922/richard-madden-bodyguard-james-bond-review/

    Great article on how Richard Madden could be a complex james bond.
  • Posts: 9,846
    Univex wrote: »
    How can anyone want this for Bond?
    54daf21384078_-_esq-3oixh3-cover.jpg?resize=480:*

    Or this:
    9dce69e5d60475af49e6f74fef996004.jpg

    Or this:
    d9d1842ae18852eae11f3fa439d7e204--hot-guys-tom-hiddleston-loki.jpg

    Have we all lost touch of what Bond is???


    Not at all but have you seen any of the films those three were on?
  • Posts: 380
    Thats a very unflattering pic of Hiddleston Risico007. Having seen him in High Rise recently i can say the guy is much more muscular than that photo suggests. As for him as Bond? Well i think he could do suave and sophisticated in his sleep. Not so sure about the rough stuff though. Could be good as a lighter Roger Moore type Bond
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,206
    It’s to easy to find an unflattering photo to “prove” a point; from Connery to Craig similar photos can be found of all of the Bond actors.
  • Posts: 17,753
    talos7 wrote: »
    It’s to easy to find an unflattering photo to “prove” a point; from Connery to Craig similar photos can be found of all of the Bond actors.

    This photo comes to mind!

    daniel-craig-james_3127949b.jpg
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,206
    Lol, there ya go.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,789
    Hmm, that's odd. I can't find a single flaw with Ms. Bellucci, there. Not sure what's being referred to.
  • Posts: 9,846
    Oh I didn’t post the phot just copied someone who did for me his performance in Kong and The Night manager made me think this could be the guy he has cariama and a darkness to him like this is a guy you wouldn’t trust your wife with or your car. And I feel Bond needs that.

    CSec4F8VAAArxeh.jpg

  • edited November 2018 Posts: 17,753
    Based on his The Night Manager performance, I wouldn't be against Hiddleston as Bond. I think it was a proper "audition", and his build certainly seemed bulky enough to pass for our favourite spy. He might give a nice guy vibe sometimes, but I'm sure he could make a good Bond based on his acting ability.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Ugh. Find Hiddles effete and a poseur. He has to act, with a big boy “A”, to be ruthless. No amount of hours in the gym will ever convince me this man could take another human life.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    edited November 2018 Posts: 8,206
    peter wrote: »
    Ugh. Find Hiddles effete and a poseur. He has to act, with a big boy “A”, to be ruthless. No amount of hours in the gym will ever convince me this man could take another human life.
    +1
    Can you believe that he initially auditioned for the role of Thor?

  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    talos7 wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    Ugh. Find Hiddles effete and a poseur. He has to act, with a big boy “A”, to be ruthless. No amount of hours in the gym will ever convince me this man could take another human life.
    +1
    Can you believe that he initially auditioned for the role of Thor?

    That’s laughable
  • edited November 2018 Posts: 9,846
    Of course Hardy is ruthless but you will claim the he is too ruthless

    007___tom_hardy_as_007_concept_poster_by_sirturn-dbbix4i.jpg


    Of course when I read the rejected pts of Spectre of Bond in an underground fighting rink I immediately though if Hardy is the next 007 that is no better way to introduce him
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Hardy is a nightclub bouncer. Case closed.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Risico007 wrote: »
    Of course Hardy is ruthless but you will claim the he is too ruthless

    007___tom_hardy_as_007_concept_poster_by_sirturn-dbbix4i.jpg


    Of course when I read the rejected pts of Spectre of Bond in an underground fighting rink I immediately though if Hardy is the next 007 that is no better way to introduce him

    Who will claim he’s too ruthless? Personally I’m hoping Hardy re-invents himself. Apart from Dunkirk, he seems to be coasting a little with really ugly-looking and mumbling performances.

    I used to hold him very high in my rankings as an actor with Bronson, Warrior, Inception, TDKR.

    But now I feel I have seen everything he has in his tool box. He doesn’t surprise me anymore as an actor.That alone is why I wouldn’t want to see him as Bond.
  • Posts: 5,767
    Hardy didn´t seem to be mumbling much in Tinker Tayler, No Turning back, The Revenant, Peaky Blinders, or Taboo.
    I don´t quite get the demand for surprise. I don´t care if an Actor has shown similar stuff before, as Long as he gives a great Performance. De Niro didn´t re-invent himself much since the early 90s, but I wouldn´t want to miss him in Heat and Ronin.
    I guess those who say Hardy´s going to be too old for Bond when the time will be up are right, and his hight might indeed be a Problem, but apart from that (and the sheer amount of paint necessary to cover all his tats) I could very well imagine him to give a great Bond Performance, be it in a more belligerent style or in a traditionally soldier-like style. Especially the latter should be a neat challenge for him to pull off.
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