982 replies to this topic

[White Persian]

Remembering that in his native Germany Gert Frobe was a comedic character actor, it occurred to me that the following could be great Bond villains, but are unlikely to be considered because of their "image".

Tom (Dr Who) Baker
Stephen Fry
Barry (Dame Edna) Humphries
Nigel Hawthorne
Richard Griffiths

Any thoughts?

[rubixcub]

White Persian (20 Nov, 2001 02:17 a.m.):
Remembering that in his native Germany Gert Frobe was a comedic character actor, it occurred to me that the following could be great Bond villains, but are unlikely to be considered because of their "image".

Tom (Dr Who) Baker
Stephen Fry
Barry (Dame Edna) Humphries
Nigel Hawthorne
Richard Griffiths

Any thoughts?

Nigel Hawthorne just passed away.

Dave

[White Persian]

devilchild (06 Feb, 2002 09:38 a.m.):
i think sean penn as the title bad guy but he works for kevin spacey kinda like the blofeld largo relationship but kevin spacey will be on screen and sean penn isnt a henchman as such but a notable villian that has henchmen for him, the plot is based on kevins spaceys ideas but the job is dont by sean penn, also i think geena davis has the potention to be a bad chick and pørn star chasey lain has the right look but the fact of her being a pørnstar and prolly not being able to act may rule her out

Whew! Was that all one sentence?
;-)

[rubixcub]

devilchild (06 Feb, 2002 09:38 a.m.):
i think sean penn as the title bad guy but he works for kevin spacey kinda like the blofeld largo relationship but kevin spacey will be on screen and sean penn isnt a henchman as such but a notable villian that has henchmen for him, the plot is based on kevins spaceys ideas but the job is dont by sean penn, also i think geena davis has the potention to be a bad chick and pørn star chasey lain has the right look but the fact of her being a pørnstar and prolly not being able to act may rule her out

Sean Penn would NEVER do it. He HATES commercıalısm. In his words, cinema is too powerful to be limited to a 'cinema of impress' which is exactly what Bond is.

I was recently going to coin a phrase dismissing something as impossible by saying "It's about as likely as Sean Penn playing a Bond villain." Ethan Hawke winning the Supporting Actor Oscar is about as likely as Sean Penn playing a Bond villain. A Justin Timberlake movie being good is about as likely as Sean Penn playing a Bond villain (haven't actually heard of any plans for the talentless, whiny-voiced, pretty-boy poser to make a movie, but you know some cliche-milking studio exec has been profoundly stupid enough to consider it. End rant transmission.)

Dave

[Jim]

As there's a fondness for British character actors:-

Corin Redgrave. Anyone who's seen C4 "Ultraviolet" can see why.

Joss Ackland, although he may be getting on a bit.

Sir Ben Kingsley. Don Logan in a Bond film. Fantastic.

Ian McShane (don't laugh). Extremely sinister in Sexy Beast. Could do a spectacular Le Chiffre.

and I suppose, if one can forget General Zod...Terence Stamp. He'd be entertaining.

[walther]

I know I don't have room to speak but, I think they should cast, ME! I would die if I found out I was cast as a villain. But then again, who wouldn't?

[Tanger]

Those who live in the UK will understand what I mean here. I keep thinking that the guy who plays Terry Raymond in EastEnders (Gavin Richards?) would make a good Felix Leiter. It's probably because he reminds me of Rik van Nutter from TB.

[Jim]

Again, not entirely practical, but Charles Laughton would have been a great Bond villain.

Not that you really needed to know that

[Rolex]

I love to see as Villians
Billy Connolly
Ray Winstone
Ben Kingsley

Evil Henchwomen
Dawn French
Kathy Burke

[devilchild]

i think sean penn as the title bad guy but he works for kevin spacey kinda like the blofeld largo relationship but kevin spacey will be on screen and sean penn isnt a henchman as such but a notable villian that has henchmen for him, the plot is based on kevins spaceys ideas but the job is dont by sean penn, also i think geena davis has the potention to be a bad chick and pørn star chasey lain has the right look but the fact of her being a pørnstar and prolly not being able to act may rule her out

[Affection]

Maybe it's time the main villian was a female. The best female role I saw in a Bond movie must have been Barbara Carrera in NSNA. I know she wasn't a leading role. Why not have a female meglomaniac for a change?

[White Persian]

scaramanga (20 Nov, 2001 07:36 a.m.):
I always thought that Paul (Lilly Savage) O'Grady (without the drag) or Eddie Izzard would make wonderfully camp Bond villains. What do you think?

Don't know Paul O'Grady but Eddie Izzard certainly. He was wasted in "The Avengers", but then EVERYBODY was wasted in "The Avengers"

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

Stephen Fry is cool. He was pretty good in Wilde as well. I think he's starting to make his way as a serious actor. I'd like to see him do soemthing in a Bond film. Actually maybe they should've cast him as "R" in TWINE... they potentially will get a longer reign as Q out of Fry than Cleese who's got a terrible hip and won't last longer than 7 years in the roll until he has to go. But then again I loved Cleese in TWINE... nobody could do it BETTER than Cleese.

[scaramanga]

I always thought that Paul (Lilly Savage) O'Grady (without the drag) or Eddie Izzard would make wonderfully camp Bond villains. What do you think?

[Affection]

scaramanga (20 Nov, 2001 07:36 a.m.):
I always thought that Paul (Lilly Savage) O'Grady (without the drag) or Eddie Izzard would make wonderfully camp Bond villains. What do you think?

At one time, maybe, but I think this is the wrong direction for the films if played in an overtly camp way when Bond has got Austin Powers as a spoof on Bond taking more money. Bond needs to be seen as Bond and not as a weak version of a spoof of itself.

Bond already is seen to spoof of itself, but it would be a mistake to move further that way. However, a serious camp actor playing with subtlety, like Steven Fry or Rupert Everett would be fine.

An undercurrent of homosexual desire/tension for Bond could create orignal drama for a Bond movie. Who knows perhaps Bond could turn on a false charm for information, only to bed the villian's sister or whoever, leading to a subplot of jealous rage by the villian, but I think Lily Savage or Eddie Izzard would be going too far.

[Mister Asterix]

Affection (07 Feb, 2002 07:42 p.m.):
Maybe it's time the main villian was a female. The best female role I saw in a Bond movie must have been Barbara Carrera in NSNA. I know she wasn't a leading role. Why not have a female meglomaniac for a change?

Elektra was the Main villain in The World Is Not Enough. But it is time we had an older female main villain, one who wouldn't also be a love interest. Diana Rigg perhaps?

[White Persian]

Jim (05 Feb, 2002 08:24 a.m.):
Again, not entirely practical, but Charles Laughton would have been a great Bond villain.

Doesn't Bond, in Fleming's Goldfinger, compare the eponymous baddie with Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII.

Fleming seems to have had the same thought, Jim.

[Rishad]

Maybe M could go evil! LoL. But a woman baddie would be an excellent choice, and not like Bambi and Thumper, they're villains, but they're henchmen. We need a real leader-type to do battle with the famous 007. Though I have no one in particular in mind.

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

Gotta be Dame Maggie Smith!

[General Koskov]

No a casting idea, but:
Did anyone notice that Fleming (or Bond) described Hugo Drax as a '...Lonsdale figure...'; and then twenty-five years later EON cast Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax.
Funny they should choose *that* as the strongest link to the novel Moonraker.

[SeanValen]

Gary Oldmen, known for playing many bad guys, Dracula including like Christopher Lee

Jeremey Irons, these two would make ultimate villians.
Problem is, they'll act Brosnan off the stage, unless it's a strong story for Bond as well, like License to Kill

[walther]

scaramanga (20 Nov, 2001 07:36 a.m.):
I always thought that Paul (Lilly Savage) O'Grady (without the drag) or Eddie Izzard would make wonderfully camp Bond villains. What do you think?

I always thought Izzard would be good. If EON reads this, whatever you do, EON should do casting, all of it, for if you let MGM cast, they would proabably end up casting Pauly Shore! (shudders at the thought)

[White Persian]

The late Sir Nigel can join Vincent Price, Klaus Kinski, Yul Brynner and Frank Thring as wonderful could-have-been Bond Villains who are alas no longer available.

[007_Fanatic]

Personally, if MGM wants to continue with the younger generation playing the villains, then I suggest that the villain for Bond 21 should be Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator & Signs). I think he would potray a physcopathic villain very well. Similar to what Christopher Walken delivered in 1985's 'A View to a Kill'. However Kevin Spacey, Nigel Havers and Patrick Stewart would be good choices too.

[IrishCrown]

We've already had our Christopher Walken baddie in Die Another Day. Didn't you see him? He was called Peter Graves.

[rubixcub]

I'm actually sick of the young villains. Ian Fleming wrote the Bond villains primarily as older men, 'sinister father figures' who sneered down at Bond's 'childish heroics'. I miss that.

I think the reason for all the young villains has been to get a younger audience in. That's pretty lousy logic. Young people aren't going to be turned off from a film if the villain is older- heck, it might help. Young people don't hate older actors- Ian McKellen is fast becoming a cult favorite with X-Men and LOTR (and I would just adore seeing him as a Bond villain). Jeremy Irons is another popular villain (I wouldn't mind seeing him square off against James either). Anthony Hopkins is popular because of Hannibal Lecter. Older villains are the way to go, enough young pups. Have Bond face off against an experienced and deadly 'armchair villain' (one who sits back and lets henchmen do the dirty work). Of course, that usually works better for the bigger films.

I've said my peace.

Dave

[jeff319]

Jeremy Irons would be awesome. He's a fantastic actor, and I'd love to see him one day be a part of the Bond villain legacy.

[Nap]

WOW, Ian McKellan would be the penultimate villain!!!

Bond vs. Gandalf!

[Max Zorin]

I had mentioned this in another villain related thread but...

What about James Gandolfini? Ideally he'd be the perfect Blofeld, but since I don't see Ernst returing anytime soon, how about just as a regular villain? I mean, for anyone who watches the Sopranos...this guy is absolutely terrifying when he gets angry! Plus he's an amazing actor to boot.

[Adam]

I would like to see Chazz Palminteri play a Bond villain. Especially if the villain is Italian. He's an accredited actor who has aged with class.