232 replies to this topic

[Righty007]

For me, Jeffrey Wright being cast as CIA agent Felix Leiter is the most exciting supporting cast news. I'm not really sure why but I think it's because we haven't seen Felix Leiter in 17 years years and because I've always had a soft spot for the character since I'm American. I'm also excited to see how a modern James Bond will interact with his modern American counterpart. I'd usually be against a black Felix Leiter but Casino Royale is a "reboot" so it doesn't have to follow the Sean Connery through Pierce Brosnan continuity. Jeffrey Wright was great in Shaft and I think he'll be great as Felix Leiter. What do you all think? Please keep the discussion about his race in A black felix? Thanks.

Jeffery Wright is Felix Leiter in Casino Royale

[JimmyBond]

I think it's ace casting. Wright is a great actor and I look very forward to him in the film. Plus I bet he looks smashing in a suit

[Blofeld's Cat]

When I saw Syriana I didn't really take much notice who was in it other than Clooney, so when I saw Wright's character I thought it was Cuba Gooding Jr for awhile before deciding it wasn't him.

[Tiin007]

I've never seen him act but to judge a book by its cover, he certainly looks the part.

[Mark_Hazard]

I've never seen him act but to judge a book by its cover, he certainly looks the part.

I'm afraid he doesn't look like the Felix in any of my books.

Eon should have done as they did in the Brosnan films, brought in another (CIA) agent, where the fans of the books wouldn't be upset at changing him (from Fleming's character) yet again

[ACE]

Hey, Righty007 - are you related to Jeffrey?



I agree, surprising, but good choice of actor.
I hope they keep him, for continuity.

No-one has talked about how he grew and arm and a leg back, either!

[Qwerty]

Eon should have done as they did in the Brosnan films, brought in another (CIA) agent, where the fans of the books wouldn't be upset at changing him (from Fleming's character) yet again

But there were always hundreds of fans on this site alone for example that were always hoping to see a return of Leiter.

[JimmyBond]

(CIA) agent, where the fans of the books wouldn't be upset at changing him (from Fleming's character) yet again

Please don't presume to speak for me I love this casting and I happen to love the books as well.

[Righty007]

Hey, Righty007 - are you related to Jeffrey?

No I'm not but if I like his portrayl then I'll tell people I am.

[J J]

...and to think that I attended a premiere for Syriana last Tuesday (before this news was announced) where Jeffrey Wright was the guest of honor If I knew then what I know now...

[krypt]

I'm happy that he will be the new Felix. I'm looking forward to November.

Edited by krypt, 20 February 2006 - 08:08 PM.

[Number 6]

Casting Wright for the part of Leiter is major ups for me! He's an incredible actor with respectable range and I feel he'll compliment Craig's Bond considerably.

Let the mayhem begin...

[ChickenStu]

He looks OK to me!

[Pussfeller]

Fabulous casting. And more than that, I'm just glad that Felix is finally back. Can you believe it will have been 17 years?

[OVERLORD]

I saw Syriana,great film and I think he'll be a great Leiter

BUT...

I need continuity.

[Auric64]

I've never seen him act but to judge a book by its cover, he certainly looks the part.

I'm afraid he doesn't look like the Felix in any of my books.

Eon should have done as they did in the Brosnan films, brought in another (CIA) agent, where the fans of the books wouldn't be upset at changing him (from Fleming's character) yet again

Ditto to your first point, (he doesn`t look as though he could handle himself in a fight - something we know Leiter of the books COULD do).

Regarding your second point - if the producers had just cast a white actor for a white character part - then there wouldn`t be any upset fans who didn`t want a black actor cast.

Best

Andy

[killkenny kid]

Damn fine news. Mr Wright is a great actor. And Yes I dare say better than Craig. The best news yet about CR.

[Q'ute]

He was the bad guy in Shaft, just saw Syriana the other day - he's great, will make a outstanding Felix

[Agent Spriggan Ominae]

Wright is a great actor. Contrast his roles in Shaft and Syriana. He has a great range which suggest he will deliver the goods.

[Agent 76]

I was thinking, that since they are "apparently" using Miami as location, wouldn't it be possible, that Bond may meet Felix there for the first time, and that eventually giving him a latin-american background?! the name even seems to have that latin touch: Felix .

[Righty007]

I was thinking, that since they are "apparently" using Miami as location, wouldn't it be possible, that Bond may meet Felix there for the first time, and that eventually giving him a latin-american background?! the name even seems to have that latin touch: Felix .

He can certainly pass for both nationalities (African American and Latin American).

[JimmyBond]

Regarding your second point - if the producers had just cast a white actor for a white character part - then there wouldn`t be any upset fans who didn`t want a black actor cast.

What about the upset fans who don't care for this actor's abilities? Shouldnt we cast based on experience and not on appearance? How shallow can we get eh?

[icecold]

On the race issue, I dont have a problem that he's black, it just bugs me that once again they've chosen someone that looks nothing like how Felix is described in the books. That's it. Jack Lord was the only one even remotely close. I just want a straw-haired, wiry guy with a Texan's personality and accent to play the man just once...is that too much to ask?

[tdalton]

Regarding your second point - if the producers had just cast a white actor for a white character part - then there wouldn`t be any upset fans who didn`t want a black actor cast.

What about the upset fans who don't care for this actor's abilities? Shouldnt we cast based on experience and not on appearance? How shallow can we get eh?

I agree. Acting ability should be made the top priority, not appearance.

[Bring Back Valentin]

...(he doesn`t look as though he could handle himself in a fight - something we know Leiter of the books COULD do)...

Then that is the perfect reason for casting him (and DC, for that matter). He blends in. You wouldn't give him a second look in a crowd and that is one of the best qualities you could find in a secret agent, be it CIA or MI-6.

If you saw Mr. T, Oscar de La Hoya, and Matt Damon walk into a bar (no, this is not a joke), in plain clothes, and didn't know who any of them were, who would you least want to get into a fight with? The big black guy with the mohawk? The little hispanic guy? The guy who reminds you of Good Will Hunting?

Who would be the one to really mop the floor with you? My money'd be on the little hispanic guy. Don't judge a book by its cover; anyone can be trained to kill, and the less they look like they can do it (like Damon in the Bourne soon-to-be-trilogy), the better.

Edited by Bring Back Valentin, 28 February 2006 - 07:42 AM.

[The Number]

Sean Connery said he wanted Felix to be black. Hence the casting of Never Say Never Again. Why? I don't know. Makes no difference to me. Great talent in this film. I think they have it right. As far as being too far removed from the character Fleming wrote about...wasn't "M" a guy?

Edited by The Number, 28 February 2006 - 06:58 AM.

[Jack Bauer]

I'm just happy to get a Felix - he could be polka-dotted with clown hair and a slide-whistle for a voice for all I'm concerned.

[Auric64]

On the race issue, I dont have a problem that he's black, it just bugs me that once again they've chosen someone that looks nothing like how Felix is described in the books. That's it. Jack Lord was the only one even remotely close. I just want a straw-haired, wiry guy with a Texan's personality and accent to play the man just once...is that too much to ask?

Regarding your second point - if the producers had just cast a white actor for a white character part - then there wouldn`t be any upset fans who didn`t want a black actor cast.

What about the upset fans who don't care for this actor's abilities? Shouldnt we cast based on experience and not on appearance? How shallow can we get eh?

I agree. Acting ability should be made the top priority, not appearance.

Icecold, I agree with you 100%. This has nothing to do with race, or being shallow, this has everything to do with the fact that the producers and director keep harping on about being FAITHFUL to Fleming`s novel.

Why is it so hard for some people on this forum who cannot respect what certain fans want in a Bond film, especially if it`s supposed to be faithful to the novel? Like I said before, there are people here that only want you to agree with them, and when you don`t, you`re labeled a pyriah and a non fan. Absolutely crazy.

Now we have Bond`s character being a former SAS squaddie!!!!!!, a black actor playing a WHITE character called Felix Leiter and an Italian actor 26 years OLDER than Craig, playing FRENCH agent Rene Mathis, (who was no more than 5-10 years older than Bond in the books). Continuity and history goes out of the window in B&W`s world, causing problems for the next film in the series as to: where do we go from here?

Best

Andy

[Double-Oh Agent]

Sean Connery said he wanted Felix to be black. Hence the casting of Never Say Never Again. Why? I don't know. Makes no difference to me. Great talent in this film. I think they have it right. As far as being too far removed from the character Fleming wrote about...wasn't "M" a guy?

Yes, "M" was a guy and his name was Miles Messervy, but Judi Dench is not playing Miles Messervy. She is playing his successor who is a woman, Barbara Mawdsley. But while I like Dench, I still prefer the days of Bernard Lee and Robert Brown when they played Miles Messervy. As a result, I wish the character had never left. 007's boss should be Messervy. And while I may end up liking Jeffrey Wright as Felix (as I did Bernie Casey before him in Never Say Never Again), I would still prefer to see a white (and preferably blonde) Leiter--much like I'd want Easy Rawlins' pal, Mouse, to be black in films based on Walter Mosley's mystery novels--because that is what the authors wrote and intended.

[tdalton]

Why is it so hard for some people on this forum who cannot respect what certain fans want in a Bond film, especially if it`s supposed to be faithful to the novel? Like I said before, there are people here that only want you to agree with them, and when you don`t, you`re labeled a pyriah and a non fan. Absolutely crazy.

I respect that many people want the film to be as close to what Fleming put on the page, both from a plot standpoint as well as a character standpoint. I know that for quite a while I was adamant about Casino Royale being an ultra-faithful adaptation of the novel, but I knew that it would never happen, given the fact that, outside of OHMSS, there hasn't been a single Bond novel even close to being faithfully adapted for the screen.

For the record, I was 100% in favor of Gary Sinise as Felix, an actor who is one of the best at his craft and who is closer to the physical description (although certainly not spot on to Fleming's physical description) of Felix. With that said, however, I find the choice of Jeffrey Wright to be an interesting one. And, I do think that, had Bernie Casey not been cast as Felix Leiter already (although 'unofficially'), then the transition would have been harder to make, but since it already happened, and given the fact that Felix in the official series has gone from really old to really young and everywhere in between more times than Bond has, that I don't really have a problem with Wright's casting as Felix, although I can certainly understand why there are probably a great deal of people who would rather it be as close to Fleming as possible.