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Bonds that might have been


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#1 Lachesis

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Posted 20 February 2010 - 07:12 PM

Enjoying the blu ray issue of 'The Prisoner' serial from the late 60's got me thinking what might have happend to Bond if, as rumoured, they had gone with Patrick MaGoohan in the title role instead of Sean Connery? Can you imagine that opening scene in 'Dr No' with the camera invading the Casino and seeing MaGoohan light his cigarette and offer "Bond, James Bond"?

MaGoohan certainly has many of the prerequisite characteristic (as he had to for Danger Man etc), he could be dark, cold-blooded, conflicted and moody...too moody perhaps, but he could also turn on a sixpence and throw a callous quip to a hapless victim and knows how to thorw a punch. There is perhaps not a lot of passion in his performances, and Connery conveyed more real enegy I think so we'd have a different Bond somewhere between Connery and Moore in pitch. His accent is also neither English or American so it may have been a factor to braoden the appeal? The real problem for his inclusion at the commencement of Bond is perhaps his ego/will, I'd imagine even Brocolli and Saltzman might have problems preventing him doing it his way.....nevertheless, despite my appreciation of Sean's debut, I could see it working.

Anyone got thoughts how it might have gone with MaGooHan or on those other potential Bonds that were considered? (I'm greatly relieved we never saw John Gavin ^^)

#2 Conlazmoodalbrocra

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Posted 20 February 2010 - 07:34 PM

Good thread idea!

Well I actually think that there could have been some great American Bonds if they could have done away with the accent. James Brolin is one of them. Had Daniel Craig turned down the role, I actually think Sam Worthington could have done a good job, again if he lost the Australian accent. And of course, Clive Owen was always my favourite to play Bond in Casino Royale, but I'm very pleased with Craig's work so far.

#3 DamnCoffee

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Posted 20 February 2010 - 07:38 PM

I always felt that John Gavin and Sam Neill would make interesting successors.

#4 jaguar007

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Posted 20 February 2010 - 07:46 PM

Rumor has it that McGoohan turned down the role because he did not like the sexuality or violence of the character. I think McGoohan could have made a great Bond and probably closer to the Bond of the books than Connery did. However I don't think the films would have reached the heights they did in the 60s with him in the role. Connery was a new type of actor with a macho charisma rarely seen before (or since) and I think that turned out to be key in making Bond "cool" in the 1960. I think the youth of the 60s may have found McGoohan's Bond to be a bit more stuffy.

#5 The Shark

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Posted 20 February 2010 - 08:54 PM

I would have loved to have seen Oliver Reed as James Bond.

#6 O.H.M.S.S.

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Posted 21 February 2010 - 01:11 PM

Richard Burton, one of the best actors ever and certainly could have made a great Bond. If we are speaking EON only, I'll add David Niven as well, also one of the greatest actors and in my eyes he would have made a very charming Bond.

Edited by O.H.M.S.S., 21 February 2010 - 01:11 PM.


#7 Lachesis

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Posted 21 February 2010 - 02:34 PM

@ColazMoodal.... Although British myself I think the right American could play Bond as long as they don't over egg the physical side, I tend to see British heros of supplanting brain for brawn...although maybe thats a conciet, certainly my one remaining area of concern with Daniel Craig is that the physical side overwhelms the mental one - at least so far.

@Mharkin - Sam Neil is certainly someone who would have been capable, Reily Ace of Spies unsurprisingly had a lot of Bond-esque traits on display and he's proven a versatile actor in small and large budget productions alike.

My only experience of John Gavin was 'Thoroughly Modern Milly' and it didnt leave me sad that we never got to see him as Bond...but perhaps the role wasnt the best vessel for his talents ^^.

@Jaguar 007 - I agree I think MaGoohan would have made a success of the role but not to the extent Connery did, I also think he would have got itchy feet after only a couple of films possibly killing the series before the international success secured the franchise.

@TheShark - I hadn't heard the rumour for Oliver Reed in the part, ironically I almost find him too dangerous to be Bond lol, would have made an awesome Bond villain for Connery though....a poetential encounter of the quality of Bond-Grant.

@OHMSS - I seem to recall Fleming himself mentioned Burton, but like Magoohan I get the impression he would not stay long in the role. Not sure about Niven, he was in full Comedy mode by the sixties but again I can imagine him being in Fleming mind during the 50's.

#8 Turn

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Posted 21 February 2010 - 03:08 PM

I also have been watching The Prisoner on Blu-ray and thought a lot about what could have been with a McGoohan James Bond.

As it turns out, we got double the good stuff -- Connery as Bond and McGoohan as Danger Man/Secret Agent and The Prisoner.

#9 PrinceKamalKhan

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Posted 21 February 2010 - 09:23 PM

My only experience of John Gavin was 'Thoroughly Modern Milly' and it didnt leave me sad that we never got to see him as Bond...but perhaps the role wasnt the best vessel for his talents ^^.


Gavin also played Julius Caesar in Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus, Janet Leigh's boyfriend in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and the 2nd male lead in the Doris Day/Rex Harrison Hitchcock-like mystery/thriller Midnight Lace which also featured Bond veteran Anthony Dawson from Dr. No. In Midnight Lace Gavin essayed an English accent that wasn't too bad but not entirely convincing. A good actor but he would've made a more plausible Felix Leiter rather than James Bond IMHO.

Sam Neill(in the 1980s) and Clive Owen(in the 2000s) were plausible 2nd choices. Another one would've been Richard Johnson who was considered for the role back in the 1960s. When he didn't land the role and after the worldwide Bond phenomenum started, Johnson played a very Bond-like Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond in Deadlier Than The Male(1967) with Bond veterans Virginia North(OHMSS), Laurence Naismith(DAF) and Milton Reid(DN, TSWLM) and Some Girls Do(1969) with James Villers(FYEO) and also with Virginia North(OHMSS). I've only seen the first of the 2 Drummond films but from what I saw, I think Johnson would've been a very good 2nd choice for Bond.

#10 Mark_Hazard

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Posted 22 February 2010 - 10:37 PM

My only experience of John Gavin was 'Thoroughly Modern Milly' and it didnt leave me sad that we never got to see him as Bond...but perhaps the role wasnt the best vessel for his talents ^^.


Gavin also played Julius Caesar in Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus, Janet Leigh's boyfriend in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and the 2nd male lead in the Doris Day/Rex Harrison Hitchcock-like mystery/thriller Midnight Lace which also featured Bond veteran Anthony Dawson from Dr. No. In Midnight Lace Gavin essayed an English accent that wasn't too bad but not entirely convincing. A good actor but he would've made a more plausible Felix Leiter rather than James Bond IMHO.


I must admit that the only film I was consiously aware of John Gavin in a film was in Romanoff and Juliet - directed by and starring Peter Ustinov.

#11 Aziz Fekkesh

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 02:30 PM

As a manic UFO fan, I would have loved to have seen Michael Billington in the role of Bond. His brief appearance as "Sergei" in TSWLM demonstrated that he had the requisite qualities of cheekiness, flintiness and yumminess. That he had this last quality in spades is emphasised in the UFO episode "Ordeal".

I wish I could pop in a UFO DVD right now - damn this day job!

#12 Lachesis

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 02:40 PM

As a manic UFO fan, I would have loved to have seen Michael Billington in the role of Bond. His brief appearance as "Sergei" in TSWLM demonstrated that he had the requisite qualities of cheekiness, flintiness and yumminess. That he had this last quality in spades is emphasised in the UFO episode "Ordeal".

I wish I could pop in a UFO DVD right now - damn this day job!


Interesting choice....and Gabrielle Drake in a purple wig hmmmm ^^

#13 jaguar007

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 02:47 PM

Another one would've been Richard Johnson who was considered for the role back in the 1960s.


I don't think Johnson had the sex appeal to be popular as Bond. Had he been cast, I doubt Bond would have lasted past 2 or 3 films. I don't think he would have clicked with the public (especially in the US) the way Connery did.

#14 Rufus Ffolkes

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 02:50 PM

I've never heard whether he was actually ever considered for the role, but an interesting post-Connery choice would have been Alan Bates.

#15 Ambler

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Posted 25 February 2010 - 03:46 PM

Haven't we had this thread before?

Anyway, another excuse to nominate Jeremy Brett. He looks the part here. Just the right mix of class and cruelty...

#16 quantumofsolace

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Posted 31 May 2013 - 03:04 AM

Bernard Cribbins Interview SFX may 29 2013 http://www.sfx.co.uk...bins-interview/

Can you see yourself as an action hero?

“Yes, well, after being one in real life – during the war – it’s a piece of cake isn’t it?”

Would you like to have been James Bond?

“No, I’m not tall enough to be James Bond! No, no. James Bond, no. I wouldn’t have been right for James Bond. I would have been a good sidekick.”

For James Bond?

“Yes, for James Bond, certainly. He needs a sidekick every now and again.”

He has a lot of female, erm, sidekicks…

“Yes, I know, but I’m not going to dress up and put a wig on.”

 

bbc 6 june 2013

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys has revealed he almost auditioned to play James Bond.



#17 quantumofsolace

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Posted 20 June 2013 - 08:41 PM

10 Famous Actors You Had No Idea Were Almost James Bond

whatculture june 19 2013 http://whatculture.c...-james-bond.php



#18 S K Y F A L L

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 05:45 AM

10. Michael Caine

9. Clint Eastwood

8. Adam West

7. Burt Reynolds

6. Sam Neill

5. Mel Gibson

4. Sean Bean

3. Liam Neeson

2. Ewan McGregor

1. Henry Cavill

 

This might be news if your not a Bond fan but I would think most people here already know about most of these if not all. The only thing new to me was that McGregor turned the role down. 

 

Anyway f****** hate that s*** site 'Whatculture'.. should be called 'Whatas***site.' Took me 5 to 10 minutes to get though that pile of crap. Should have been titled "10 Famous Actors You Should have already known were almost Bond if your a fan or 10 old Bond news related articles.  I'm a sucker for these s*** links though, I check out Zergnet.com all the time. 



#19 tdalton

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 05:50 AM

10. Michael Caine

9. Clint Eastwood

8. Adam West

7. Burt Reynolds

6. Sam Neill

5. Mel Gibson

4. Sean Bean

3. Liam Neeson

2. Ewan McGregor

1. Henry Cavill

 

The only thing new to me was that McGregor turned the role down. 

 

 

 

McGregor turning down the role is news to me as well. 

 

As for the list, I think it's a good thing that most of these actors weren't cast as Bond.  Out of the ten, only Neeson, Bean, and Neill would have done well in the role.  The rest would have been terrible.



#20 SecretAgentFan

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 02:40 PM

I did not even knew that he was seriously considered. And at which point? After Brosnan´s departure? Don´t think so. 

 

Sam Neill would have been very interesting - but coming after Moore he would probably have been considered a let down by audiences (too serious, not good-looking enough, not athletic enough).

 

Mel Gibson (who was, as far as I know, only up for a one-time stint) could have worked pretty well. 

 

Neeson, I´m divided on. I like his work as an actor. But would he have been able to pull off the humor? Bean, IMO, also is a bit too tough for Bond and strikes me as not too sympathetic.

 

In the end, Dalton was the best choice after Moore. And Craig the best one after Brosnan.



#21 tdalton

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 03:04 PM

I did not even knew that he was seriously considered. And at which point? After Brosnan´s departure? Don´t think so. 

 

Sam Neill would have been very interesting - but coming after Moore he would probably have been considered a let down by audiences (too serious, not good-looking enough, not athletic enough).

 

Mel Gibson (who was, as far as I know, only up for a one-time stint) could have worked pretty well. 

 

Neeson, I´m divided on. I like his work as an actor. But would he have been able to pull off the humor? Bean, IMO, also is a bit too tough for Bond and strikes me as not too sympathetic.

 

In the end, Dalton was the best choice after Moore. And Craig the best one after Brosnan.

 

I'm not sure about Gibson.  I'm a big fan of the man's work but I have a hard time seeing him as Bond.  When he would have been potentially stepping into the role, which would have been after Dalton if I remember correctly, he was far too big of a star for it to have worked.  As alternatives to Brosnan, I would have much preferred Bean or Neeson stepping into the role, short of a return by Dalton.  Bean would have very much been the precursor to the Daniel Craig era, IMO, and given that he was supposedly Barbara Broccoli's first choice for the role back in the 90s, I think there's a chance that he would have worked out quite well, given that she now has a track record for being right with supposedly unconventional choices to play the part of James Bond.



#22 Odd Jobbies

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 08:22 PM

Mel Gibson (who was, as far as I know, only up for a one-time stint) could have worked pretty well. 

 

I agree, the guy was and still is a very powerful screen presence and would have doubtless made Bond his own. 

 

Check him out in PAYBACK - he does extremely tough and very witty all at the same time like very few, if any, other actors can.

 

He's obviously too old now,but i'd love to see him direct Bond - along with Nicholas Winding-Refn he's the most interesting director out there (even if it's not popular to say so right now). I love the his work and will always pay to see it - what he does in his own time isn't really relevant if the work's good.



#23 Dustin

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 08:23 PM

There are two categories in this list, at least. Could be even three.

 

One is actors who had a realistic chance of landing the role at a time:

Neil, Eastwood, West perhaps. And Cavill.

 

A subcategory are actors who got the offer supposedly by Saltzman or Broccoli at a time when Eon was desperate after Connery's second departure: 

Again Eastwood, West, Reynolds - note how both Eastwood and Reynolds were big names at the time when they were considered. And the fact these actors were Americans at the time was even considered an advantage! Downright unthinkable today.

 

And then there is Mel Gibson who was a coming big name in '87, and therefore considered by MGM, which pretty much counts for nothing in Bonds. They could prevent another Dalton Bond, but they were not in a position to push their own candidate against Eon's better judgement. So I don't think he really counts as a serious contender here.

 

The article itself mentions Bean coming to the attention of Eon, but not for the Bond role. So I don't see what his name is doing there, apart from filling up the necessary 10.

 

Now, was Neeson considered? By Eon? Was McGregor? I know fans mentioned them time and again, but I have never seen serious evidence either was ever any closer to the role than any other actor of the presence-looks-physicality category.

 

What I miss is a WhatCulture!-article shedding light on the incomprehensible mystery of why, oh why Ralph Fiennes apparently wasn't considered - he'd have turned up on one of these infamous lists by now for sure, wouldn't he? - and what kind of evil machinations prevented him from landing the role. It cannot have been the artistic use of a just-for-the-role acquired beer belly in SCHINDLER'S LIST, can it?   


Edited by Dustin, 21 June 2013 - 08:25 PM.


#24 sunset

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Posted 22 June 2013 - 02:06 AM

A young Cary Grant.  Fantastic actor who could do drama, action, and more.  He was born in England and was a former acrobat.  I watch Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" and think what a great Bond he could have been!



#25 Odd Jobbies

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Posted 23 June 2013 - 11:06 AM

A young Cary Grant.  Fantastic actor who could do drama, action, and more.  He was born in England and was a former acrobat.  I watch Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" and think what a great Bond he could have been!

I've read he was one of the early choices (after Mason, but before McGoohan  i'd guess), but would only go under contract for 1 or 2 movies, and so Eon continued searching.



#26 sunset

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Posted 23 June 2013 - 10:18 PM

 

A young Cary Grant.  Fantastic actor who could do drama, action, and more.  He was born in England and was a former acrobat.  I watch Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" and think what a great Bond he could have been!

I've read he was one of the early choices (after Mason, but before McGoohan  i'd guess), but would only go under contract for 1 or 2 movies, and so Eon continued searching.

 

Very true.  Grant was 56 years old when Dr. No was filmed.  I visioned a mid 30 year old Grant as Bond.



#27 quantumofsolace

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 07:36 PM

10 Iconic British Actors Who Should Have Played 007

whatculture june 30 2013 http://whatculture.c...-played-007.php



#28 S K Y F A L L

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Posted 01 July 2013 - 02:40 AM

 

I grow up with the Brosnan era but I would not have minded these actors;

 

Liam Neeson

Ralph Finnies

Sean Bean (a pre-cursor  to DC)

 

I would have been fine with these actors during the 2005 recast;

 

Hugh Jackman 

Ewan McGregor (even though he is shorter then most the actors who`ve played Bond)
Henry Cavill (I didn`t know him at the time) 


#29 Guy Haines

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Posted 01 July 2013 - 06:40 AM

Rumor has it that McGoohan turned down the role because he did not like the sexuality or violence of the character. I think McGoohan could have made a great Bond and probably closer to the Bond of the books than Connery did. However I don't think the films would have reached the heights they did in the 60s with him in the role. Connery was a new type of actor with a macho charisma rarely seen before (or since) and I think that turned out to be key in making Bond "cool" in the 1960. I think the youth of the 60s may have found McGoohan's Bond to be a bit more stuffy.

 

Probably more than rumour. Patrick McGoohan was something of a moral social conservative. This carried over into his approach to the roles of John Drake in "Danger Man" (aka "Secret Agent") and Number 6 in "The Prisoner". Drake hardly ever got involved with women and only used violence when he had no choice. The same can be said for Number 6. In interviews quoted in a biography of McGoohan I read some time ago, the actor insisted that he wanted his film/TV work to be watchable by his wife and children without causing offence. Ironically, the final episode of "The Prisoner" caused more offence amongst some TV viewers when first shown - because it did not provide the "conventional" resolution to the series that some viewers expected - than a good many TV shows with more sexual or violent content at the time.

 

On reflection, I agree with the above post - on the surface, Patrick McGoohan looked the part, and acted in a way which might have made him a perfect choice for Bond, but I think his moral scruples might have made the role difficult for him to carry. As he got older, though, I thought he might have made a pretty good Bond villain. He had the same quality that Daniel Craig has now - one can equally imagine him as Bond's adversary and as Bond.



#30 Odd Jobbies

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Posted 01 July 2013 - 07:40 PM

 

 

A young Cary Grant.  Fantastic actor who could do drama, action, and more.  He was born in England and was a former acrobat.  I watch Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" and think what a great Bond he could have been!

I've read he was one of the early choices (after Mason, but before McGoohan  i'd guess), but would only go under contract for 1 or 2 movies, and so Eon continued searching.

 

Very true.  Grant was 56 years old when Dr. No was filmed.  I visioned a mid 30 year old Grant as Bond.

 

Even so, at 56 Grant would've done the role proud, i'm sure. But a 30-something Grant as Bond - he would've owned it just as much as Connery and Craig.