I think the public would happily except a charming and handsome relative unknown who fits the part in every manner. There are plenty of talented leading men with the traditional good looks who could play James Bond superbly in the UK,Ireland,Canada,South Africa,Australia and New Zealand.
I think the key problem is there aren't any suitable leading men as you describe. Who are these men from the UK, Canada etc?
It could be the case that the best way forward in finding a new Bond is to choose an unknown male model who looks exactly like the movie Bond, and give him enough time to learn how to act. There is no reason why a 30+ old male model with competent acting skills couldn't make a decent stab at Bond. I'm sure George Lazenby would have become a great Bond had he not thrown away the role. Just check out the final scene of OHMSS to see what potential he had.
A former male model, in the Lazenby mode, could be what the series needs. Just because a man makes a living as a model doesn't mean they can't act. It's possible there is an unknown male model who could make the transition and become a credible Bond. There must be a few out there who could be worth a screentest. At any rate, it would give Eon more options.
Moomoo
Some quick examples from the past and a few from today.Rod Taylor had a long career as a leading man-often affecting an American accent--but he's really a proud Australian.And according to him,Cubby offered him James Bond at one point but he turned it down.This reportedly during the actor search before Connery was found.The full story's on Taylor's website.
And we all know that the greatest Swashbuckler of all time and the screen's definitive Robin Hood--Errol Flynn--was an Australian.He played English Irish and occasionally American and the public accepted this.Even a Norwegian,a Scot and an Italian adventurer.And rarely a with a trace of 'Strine in his speaking voice-unless when playing his nationality--which he only did twice on screen.
Canada's Christopher Plummer frequently played Englishmen and Irishmen.Even Austrians and Germans.Want to see him as he might have played James Bond?Check out
TripleCross(directed by Terence Young and also featuring Claudine Auger).And of course he's also passed himself off as an American.He can't be the only Canadian actor with this range.Years ago,He'd have been an interesting James Bond.And John Vernon might've made a good 007 too. And also fellow Canadian Cary Elwes (with darkened hair) about ten years ago.And I'm sure are more suitable actors where these men came from.We may not know their names but they exist.
English actor Simon West of
Chicago(plays the abusive husband in that movie)might be a good 007.I've seen him elsewhere without the affected Yank accent and I think he looks right.30s,ruggedly good-looking and with an impressive build.Forgot the name of the film-you'll just have to trust me on this.
Jack Davenport of
Pirates of the Caribbean and other films might be worth looking at as a potential 007 too.If Eon wants a 007 in hi s mid40s, then James Purefoy would be a great choice.And there's Christian Bale--after some Batman movies he'll probably be available--say about 10 years from now.Plus that Welsh actor whose name I always have trouble spelling--Ion Gruffudd(I think that's it )tv's "Horatio Hornblower".He seemed to appear out of nowhere to become a star if only on tv.He's Lancelot in the new
King Arthur movie.Could make HIM the star and not Clive Owen.
My point is,the talent's available.There are still good looking leading men actors all over the world and particularly in the Commonwealth-and outside it like Brosnan's Southern Ireland and the lands Down Under who might be good 007s.Guys with the right looks and acting talent.
Aussie Hugh Jackman's an excellent example of a possible 007--in fact he may even play Bond at some point. Cameron Daddo,another popular Australian actor/leading man might also be worth Eon's time.He was recently a regular on the "She Spies" tv series(Mr.Cross).Or Simon Baker who starred in the recently cancelled but critically praised "The Guardian" tv show.The Eon people will have to look.It won't be easy as it once was with Roger and Pierce with their images established while on tv.And I doubt there'll be any "Saint" or "Baron" or "Toff" or even "Remington Steele" type tv shows anytime soon--so the handsome dashing tuxedoed heroes have to sought elsewhere.Eon will have to look a little harder than before.
But I understand what you're saying-literally create a James Bond from a man who looks right for the series.Could work and merely because Cubby's experiment at turning George into another Sean Connery type was perceived as a failure,doesn't mean it really was.I don't think it was.I like George but I don't think 007 should ever be played by an untrained actor whatever his nationality.Sean Connery was slightly reshaped by Terence Young but he'd already had plenty of acting experience.He'd even played a Russian nobleman,Alexander the Great,and a dashing globe-trotting English journalist during WWII before ever being considered to play 007.He looked right, he already had the training ,and he had the range needed.
Conversely,George didn't anything near this experience aside from being tv's Big Fry man and it shows--if only in places.He certainly had the natural talent and over time might've been a terrific 007,because he's become a good actor since.And at age 29, Lazenby might have been good for 20 years as Bond.But he unwisely chose not to be 007 and that probably destroyed all of Eon's chances for ever creating a new James Bond in-house.I don't think Wilson and Broccoli are really willing to try this again--
Cubby might have--but not them.And MGM probably wouldn't let them if they tried.In fairness,having said that I have read that Barbara Broccoli and Debbie McWilliams do occasionally venture out and around the UK and elsewhere to look at possible 007s from time to time.In fact,Barbara Broccoli was in Australia looking at some potential Bonds when Brosnan was signed for
GoldenEye(according to what it says in a book I have on the making of
The World Is Not Enough).
However,I think eventually--and probably sooner than later--,because the motion picture business no longer features as many of the kinds of handsome leading men who once were the coin of the realm, Eon may have to look harder and longer and perhaps go the Connery route(finding an actor with looks and talent who may only need a little burnishing),as opposed to waiting for a handsome tv star to emerge. Roger Moores and Pierce Brosans are as rare as Sean Connerys.There probably aren't a lot of Timothy Daltons anymore either.All of these men are actors with extensive training who have no trouble with leading roles.Some,like Sean and Tim are character actors who can also play leads-unlike Roger and Pierce who are primarily leads alone,despite efforts to the contrary.
Eon certainly needs more options.Your idea has merit.Perhaps,as you suggest,they'll find someone with all the right qualities and talents and an appearance favorable to the public at large.Female models make the transition to acting all the time--males can too(and may have without the general public hearing about it).Still,the door is open to finding such a man.Someone who can be turned into James Bond. After all,the most important character in these films is always James Bond--not the actor who plays him.At least that's always been the idea and it has been ever since
Dr.No.
The suitable Bond actors are out there.Eon/MGM/(and eventuallySony or whomever) simply have to stop their fixation with name actors alone.Widen the field.There are millions of actors in the world-some who'd be superb 007s.Ones who might actually become huge stars as a result,more than paying back the investment put into them.Neither you nor I have all their names at our fingertips but it's only logical that they exist.The odds favor this.
The public is now sophisticated enough to accept an actor they're not overly familiar with as 007.At least I hope so.
Edited by Willie Garvin, 05 June 2004 - 04:47 PM.
