150 replies to this topic

[Righty007]

In the official Bond movies 7 different actors have played CIA agent Felix Leiter. I want you to rank the 6 Leiter's from your favorite (1) to your least favorite (7). Here's how I rank them:

1. Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale)
2. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
3. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
4. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)
5. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)
6. John Terry (The Living Daylights)
7. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)

Edited by Righty007, 26 March 2008 - 01:55 AM.

[Doubleshot]

01 Jack Lord (Dr. No)
02 Rick Van Nutter (Thunderball)
03 David Hedison (Live and Let Die / License to Kill)
04 Cec Linder (Goldfinger)
05 John Terry (The Living Daylights)
06 Norman Burton (Diamonds are Forever)

A note on Cec Linder - I like him a lot, but he doesn't fit into my idea of what Felix Leiter should be. Jack Lord and Rick Van Nutter (even David Hedison - to an extent - for Roger Moore's Bond) do, and I think John Terry also works well with Timothy Dalton for the kind of character Felix is: James Bond's American equivalent. Leiter should be Bond's age and have the same potential and ability Bond can. The films have failed in getting this through. I like Linder as an actor, but he seemed more like Bond's American uncle than the sarcastic but cool Jack Lord from Dr. No. I really dislike Norman Burton's Bond, though.

I have to wonder - why wasn't Bernie Casie from NSNA included in this list? I liked him a lot as Leiter in that film and feel he was one of the highlights.

[SirMiles83]

1. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
2. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
3. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)
4. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)
5. John Terry (The Living Daylights)
6. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)

[Mister Asterix]

• David Hedison
• Rik Van Nutter
• Bernie Casey
• Jack Lord
• Cec Linder
• Norman Burton
• John Terry

[M_Balje]

1. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
2. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
3. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)
4. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)
5. John Terry (The Living Daylights)
6. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)

[superracer0022]

1. David Hedison (LALD & LTK)
2. Rik Van Nutter (TB)
3. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
4. Cec Linder (GF)
5. Norman Burton (DAF)
6. John Terry (TLD)

[Righty007]

Originally posted by Doubleshot
I have to wonder - why wasn't Bernie Casie from NSNA included in this list? I liked him a lot as Leiter in that film and feel he was one of the highlights.

Doubleshot, I only included the Felix Leiter's from the official Bond movies on the list.

[homerjbond]

1. David Hedison (LALD & LTK)
2. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
3. Cec Linder (GF)
4. Norman Burton (DAF)
5. Rik Van Nutter (TB)
6. John Terry (TLD)

Wondering...Felix gets eaten by a shark in LTK the movie, but in LALD the book, right? So I guess it's ironic David Hedison appears as Felix in both LALD and LTK...

[Mister Asterix]

Obviously, I included Casey on my list. It’s a shame to leave him off, because I’m quite curious to know where people would rate the ‘unofficial’ Felix. I did leave off Michael Pate since he played Clarence Lieter, not Felix.

[kevrichardson]

1. Jack Lord ( Dr.No)
2. Rip Van Nutter (ThunderBall)
3. David Henson (Live and Let Die /Lisence To Kill )
4. Norman Burton ( Diamonds Are Forever)
5. Cec Linder ( Goldfinger)
6. John Terry ( The Living Daylights)

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Mister Asterix
Obviously, I included Casey on my list. It’s a shame to leave him off, because I’m quite curious to know where people would rate the ‘unofficial’ Felix. I did leave off Michael Pate since he played Clarence Lieter, not Felix.

I am going to include Bernie Casey too Mister Asterix, I think he was a lot better as Felix Leiter than some of the actors in the EON series.

1. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
2. Bernie Casey (NSNA)
3. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
4. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)
5. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)
6. John Terry (The Living Daylights)
7. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)

[Double-Oh-Zero]

1. Jack Lord
2. Cec Linder
3. Bernie Casey
4. Rik Van Nutter
5. David Hedison
6. Norman Burton
7. John Terry

I would have just loved to see Ian Fleming react to a black Felix, which is partly why I ranked him so high.

[Bryce (003)]

I can't quite rank them all. I've only got four that fit the Felix mold in my book.

In no order of rank:

Jack Lord
Rick Van Nutter
David Hedison (very nice chap in person;))
Bernie Casey

As to the rest....

"Thanks....We'll let you know";)

[Mourning Becomes Electra]

1. Jack Lord (Dr. No)

HUGE CHASM

2. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
3. Bernie Casey (NSNA)
4. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)

Awwww come on... were these men really suppossed to be Felix?

5. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)
6. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)
7. John Terry (The Living Daylights)

[BONDFINESSE 007]

book em danno#1 with me

[TheSaint]

Rik Van Nutter, I think, was the one actor probably closest to what Felix looked like in the books. As for how the actors who played him match up,
I'd say Jack Lord & David Hedison tied for 1st, Norman Burton dead last,
and Rik, Cec, Bernie, and John in descending order.

[Fraternal]

1. Bernie Casey
2. Hedison
3. Linder
4. Lord
5. Van Nutter
6. Terry
7. Burton

[Kronsteen]

1. Rik van Nutter
2. Jack Lord
3. Cec Linder
4. Bernie Casey
5. David Hedison
6. Norman Burton
7. John Terry

Rik van Nutter and Jack Lord are by far the best, but Cec Linder and Bernie Casey was good too. David Hedison was okey, but he was never the Felix Leiter character. Norman Burton was bad and John Terry was almost terrible, he looked like a teenager...

[Killmaster]

1. Jack Lord
2. David Hedison (LTK)
3. Rick Van Nutter
4. John Terry
5. Bernie Casey
6. David Hedison (LALD)
7. Cec Linder
8. Norman Burton

I split David Hedison into two since the tones of the two films were so different that he seemed to be playing two different Leiters.

[homerjbond]

Killmaster has a good point, we need to split David Hedison's Leiter character in the two movies, but I have to rank LTK lower than LALD, how can he NOT notice that his bride has the HOTS for Bond?!?

[Turn]

1. Van Nutter
2. Hedison LALD
3. Lord
4. Casey
5. Hedison LTK
6. Terry
7. Linder
8. Burton

When can we have him back?

[Ed King]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow


I am going to include Bernie Casey too Mister Asterix, I think he was a lot better as Felix Leiter than some of the actors in the EON series.

1. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
2. Bernie Casey (NSNA)
3. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
4. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)
5. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)
6. John Terry (The Living Daylights)
7. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)

I couldn't agree more.

[Triton]

If we can include non-Eon actors, I also vote for Bernie Casey. He is by far the best actor to portray Felix Leiter, the other actors don't even come close, and there seems to be a sense of genuine friendship and history between Bond and Leiter in their scenes together in NSNA.

For the Eon series:

1. David Hedison (Live and Let Die and Licence To Kill)
2. Jack Lord (Dr. No)
3. Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball)
4. Cec Linder (Goldfinger)
5. Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever)
6. John Terry (The Living Daylights)

If they show Felix Leiter in Bond XXI they MUST give the actor a three picture deal. I am tired of the producers changing the actor each time we see this character. The rest of the Bond ensemble doesn't change that much from film to film, they need to build some continuity with Bond's best friend. They need to cast someone who is the American equivalent of Bond in style, education, and fitness. For some reason Alec Baldwin comes to mind, but perhaps the producers can cast an unknown who would be perfect for Leiter.

No more slobby and stupid Jack Wade for comic relief. I do like Joe Don Baker, but sheesh. Doesn't Bond realize he is arms dealer Brad Whittaker?

Michael Madsen's NSA agent Damian Falco is no Felix Leiter either. He pretty much fit the "ugly American" stereotype during his dealings with M. The character needs to catch a bullet.

[Righty007]

I liked Leiter's return in Raymond Benson's The Facts of Death. He should return in the films because we have not seen him since the incident in '89.

[SeanValen00V]

Has to be David Hedison, great actor.

Jack Lord deserves a menstion, the others are not memorable enough to menstion.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

jack lord was the man

[QnotR]

1) David Hedison
2) Jack Lord
3) Rik Van Nutter
4) Norman Burton
5) Cec Linder
6) John Terry

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Triton
If we can include non-Eon actors, I also vote for Bernie Casey. He is by far the best actor to portray Felix Leiter, the other actors don't even come close, and there seems to be a sense of genuine friendship and history between Bond and Leiter in their scenes together in NSNA.

I agree....they do seem to have a genuine friendship and history together. I think Bernie Casey did a great job in NSNA.

Originally posted by Triton
If they show Felix Leiter in Bond XXI they MUST give the actor a three picture deal.  I am tired of the producers changing the actor each time we see this character.  The rest of the Bond ensemble doesn't change that much from film to film, they need to build some continuity with Bond's best friend. They need to cast someone who is the American equivalent of Bond in style, education, and fitness. For some reason Alec Baldwin comes to mind, but perhaps the producers can cast an unknown who would be perfect for Leiter.

I read one time that the reason they have changed actors (at least in the early years) was for fear that the Leiter character may upstage the Bond character. I guess the tradition stuck until they returned Hedison in LTK.

Originally posted by Triton
No more  slobby and stupid Jack Wade for comic relief. I do like Joe Don Baker, but sheesh. Doesn't Bond realize he is arms dealer Brad Whittaker?

I actually really like the Wade character...sure he was a little out of place in TND but I thought he was funny as heck in GE. I also have a great admiration for the actor Joe Don Baker.

Originally posted by Triton
Michael Madsen's NSA agent Damian Falco is no Felix Leiter either. He pretty much fit the "ugly American" stereotype during his dealings with M. The character needs to catch a bullet.

Rumors are flying that he will return at a future date, perhaps your wish will be granted

[QnotR]

Speaking of Leiter, did he lose a leg in LTK? If so, is it the reason why a new CIA agent (Jack Wade) was created to help Bond?

And if Wade were to return, I hope they recast the role.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by QnotR

And if Wade were to return, I hope they recast the role.

Strongly disagree....I loved Joe Don Baker in the role of Wade....Just got done watching his performance in GOLDENEYE on the USA network tonight...