982 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

David Suchet is the one to get, Iv thought of him many times as a good bond villian so its pretty funny that you too brought him up.

He could be a mastermind type perhaps.

[Frostyak]

Eamonn Walker, http://imdb.com/name/nm0907708/

I don't know if any of you saw 'Lord of War' over the weekend, but I felt this actor absolutely owned the screen while he was on it. I believe he would be a brilliant Bond villain. He was able to deliver comedic lines as easily as totally ruthless ones.

I hope somone else saw this movie over the weekend so they can offer an argument for or against.

- Chris

[dinovelvet]

Eamonn Walker, http://imdb.com/name/nm0907708/

Oh yeah he used to be on OZ, pretty intense screen presence as I recall.

[Max Zorin]

When Casino Royale was still set in South Africa I had the idea that Arnold Vosloo should play Le Chiffre  because Vosloo is a big actor in his home country. When reports said that Goran Visnjic was up for the role of Bond, I nearly craped myself becuase I have always said the Visnjic and Vosloo are the best choices for villains. I still think that Vosloo should play Le Chiffre. He's a great actor, becoming a bigger star in the US, and because... well, just look at the guy:

He's my choice for Blofeld, should that, you know...ever happen.

[Gabe Vieira]

[quote name='Max Zorin' date='18 September 2005 - 22:41'][quote name='Gabe Vieira' date='15 September 2005 - 12:11']When Casino Royale was still set in South Africa I had the idea that Arnold Vosloo should play Le Chiffre

[Max Zorin]

Did you see Vosloo on this season of 24 as terrorist mastermind Habib Marwan? I was totally getting the Blofeld vibe from him. And, he looks just like I always imagined Blofeld would look, based on his description in the novels. But again, even if we DID get Blofeld, they'd probably end up with Patrick Stewart or Ben Kingsley. Hey, he's bald! He's PERFECT! I like the idea of Blofeld being more of a physical threat to Bond, ala the novels. Oh well. I digress.

[pgram]

If you are looking for a villain, go expressionistic. The best villains so far have been actors who were hot in mid-thirties Germany:
Lotte Lenya, Gert Frobbe, Peter Lorre.
Be bold. Surprising.
How about Daniel Emilfork? Or Yello's Dieter Meyer? Or PierLuiggi Collina?
Excellent British actor John McEnery would also be perfect.
If you are looking for a big star (I don't agree, actually), Geoffrey Rush or David Carradine are moves in the right direction.

[hartley_bond]

Al Pacino would make a nice Le Chiffre.

[killkenny kid]

Avery Brooks.

[Forever007]

What about David Warner? He has a very menancing look and is a very fine actor.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Seeing as Le Chiffre is an East European character, I would cast Jurgen Prochnow in the villain's role. He's German and a great bad guy in many films. He would certainly carry a lot of menace and authority as Le Chiffre as well as seem like someone who would spend a lot of time in brothels.

[SeanValen00V]

Daniel Craig is likely the villian, not Bond.

[medrecess]

My good friend Mr Gulshan Grover has confided in me that he is playing one of the two main villians besides Le Chiffre

[Timothy]

Due to Campbells search for an french actor, I'd suppose Lambert Wilson as villain.

Of course he is well known because of Matrix but he is still not a hollywood-star - thus his salary might be not too high.

I could imagine him sitting in a casino playing cards. Further, he looks intelligent and evil - I'd love to see him in CR.

Attached Files

•  lambertwilson.jpg   21.13KB   23 downloads

Edited by Timothy, 14 October 2005 - 08:36 AM.

[Lounge Lizard]

I'm not sure if he's been mentioned before, but I think Michael Gambon would be great as Le Chiffre. Not French (although I guess his surname is), but a terrific actor. He's a large, intimidating man, and he could register both the sadistic streak and the twisted fatherly side of Le Chiffre. He can also be slightly sleazy, as in Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. According to some interviews, Craig admires him- which is great for the perverse father-son subtext needed for the torture scene (if it's going to be included).

[Jim]

If French, I'd say Gerard Depardieu.
If not French, I'd say Gerard Depardieu.

So, Gerard Depardieu.

[Alessandra]

If French, I'd say Gerard Depardieu.
If not French, I'd say Gerard Depardieu.

So, Gerard Depardieu.

lol. I agree. Depardieu is a terrific actor.
Otherwise I'd say Gary Sinise.

[stromberg]

If French, I'd say Gerard Depardieu.
If not French, I'd say Gerard Depardieu.

So, Gerard Depardieu.

lol. I agree. Depardieu is a terrific actor.
Otherwise I'd say Gary Sinise.

Depardieu would certainly be my deam cast for Bond, but I'm afraid he's simply to "big" (not physically, that is).

Gary Sinise - maybe not for Le Chiffre, but I've fancied him as Bond villain ever since I first noticed him in "Ransom"

Like the idea of Bob Hoskins, whom I saw mentioned quite a few times here.

And mentioned Dennis Hopper elsewher ages ago.

My left-field choice: why not go for a good old efficient German villain again? Wouldn't want the above mentioned Prochnow, but one of Germany's most favourite actors G

[MrMoneypenny]

How about Belgian actor Jan Decleir? He's a terrific actor and a great presence on the screen in every movie he is in. He gained international fame as father Daens in the Academy Award nominated film 'Daens' and can be currently seen in 'Memory of a Killer', in which he plays a killer-for-hire with Alzheimer's disease. Plus, he's been on Barbara Brocolli's wishlist before: he was offered the part of Renard in The World Is Not Enough, but had to turn it down because he wanted to be loyal to his theater troup in Belgium, who had just started a European tour. Rent the Dutch movie Karakter, and see for yourself. The movie won Best Foreign Film in the '98 Academy Awards, and when the director accepted the Oscar, he dedicated it to "the Titanic of Europe, Jan Decleir!".

[Lounge Lizard]

Jan Decleir, great pick. One of my favorite Dutch-speaking screen actors.

[tdalton]

Gary Sinise - maybe not for Le Chiffre, but I've fancied him as Bond villain ever since I first noticed him in "Ransom"

Like the idea of Bob Hoskins, whom I saw mentioned quite a few times here.

I've always liked the idea of having Gary Sinise play Felix Leiter, but I think that he could also be a good villain, but I'm not necesarilly sold on him for the part of Le Chiffre, though.

Also, Bob Hoskins would be a great choice for Le Chiffre, probably my #1 or #2 choice for the role right now. He would be a great fit for the role, IMO. I've also always liked the idea of Jack Nicholson playing Le Chiffre, but I think that I'm part of the minority on that idea.

[Qwerty]

Daniel Craig is likely the villian, not Bond.

Well we saw how that turned out.

[quiller]

in the absence of robert maxwell i cant think of anyone.

[Alessandra]

Gary Sinise - maybe not for Le Chiffre, but I've fancied him as Bond villain ever since I first noticed him in "Ransom"

Like the idea of Bob Hoskins, whom I saw mentioned quite a few times here.

I've always liked the idea of having Gary Sinise play Felix Leiter, but I think that he could also be a good villain, but I'm not necesarilly sold on him for the part of Le Chiffre, though.

Also, Bob Hoskins would be a great choice for Le Chiffre, probably my #1 or #2 choice for the role right now. He would be a great fit for the role, IMO. I've also always liked the idea of Jack Nicholson playing Le Chiffre, but I think that I'm part of the minority on that idea.

Jack Nicholson would be GREAT I think, but the problem is he would COMPLETELY overshadow Craig. Not a good idea unfortunately.

[WC]

We need another Michel Lonsdale/ Drax type character as Le Chiffre!

[tdalton]

Gary Sinise - maybe not for Le Chiffre, but I've fancied him as Bond villain ever since I first noticed him in "Ransom"

Like the idea of Bob Hoskins, whom I saw mentioned quite a few times here.

I've always liked the idea of having Gary Sinise play Felix Leiter, but I think that he could also be a good villain, but I'm not necesarilly sold on him for the part of Le Chiffre, though.

Also, Bob Hoskins would be a great choice for Le Chiffre, probably my #1 or #2 choice for the role right now. He would be a great fit for the role, IMO. I've also always liked the idea of Jack Nicholson playing Le Chiffre, but I think that I'm part of the minority on that idea.

Jack Nicholson would be GREAT I think, but the problem is he would COMPLETELY overshadow Craig. Not a good idea unfortunately.

That's the only concern that I have about Nicholson in CR. I do think, however, that he would be perfect for the torture sequence if they were to film that the right way.

I don't think that there would be that problem with Bob Hoskins in the role, though. I think that he would be on about an even par with Craig in terms of acting ability and I doubt that he would overshadow Craig.

[dinovelvet]

I think its time to mention (yet) again, Ian McShane, star of Sexy Beast and Deadwood. If you've seen either of those, you'll know its impossible for him not to be a memorable villain...

Here Le Chiffre congratulates Bond on his impressive victory at poker :

[Andrew]

I mentioned this in another thread but I think that Ciaran Hinds could play Le Chiffre for some reason. If you don't know him he plays Julius Caesar on Rome. He'd be a nice choice for someone that isn't a big name.

[blackjack60]

It's a pity that the best actor ever suited to play LeChiffre played him, but in a stupid comedy. I'm of course referring to Orson Welles, who was and will always be ideally cast in the part (Connery wanted him as Blofeld in the unproduced 'Warhead' film as well).

This brings me to...Connery. No doubt everyone has already dismissed this as a crazy and stupid idea. I think it's worth considering for several factors.

* Box office. Getting the public to watch Casino Royale will not necesarily be easy. I like Craig as Bond but the public isn't going to be automatically drawn to him, or to a Bond film with no gadgets and a down-to-earth tone. Casting Connery as LeChiffre will almost certainly give the movie huge publicity and greatly ratchet up public interest. Casino Royale could easily flop. With Connery on board, and the public excited by a Bond vs. Bond contest, flopping probably couldn't happen.

* Irony. LeChiffre, like all of Fleming's best villains, is a paternal figure. Who could be a more paternal figure to the new Bond than the very first one? LeChiffre ruthlessly tortures Bond, tauntingly calls him "my dear boy," and tells him that he's doing nothing more than playing "red indians," and for Sean Connery, who outgrew Bond years ago and has often stated so, such lines are deliciously ironic of his real attitudes toward the character. I can imagine LeChriffre's contempt--his avowal that Bond is a dolt playing simplistic games--easily coming out of Connery's mouth. With one role Connery would finally divorce himself from Bond in the eyes of the moviegoers, instead becoming Bond's tormentor and bad conscience. And as Bond says later in the novel, LeChiffre in some ways is his mirror image--the evil man who makes the good man's existence possible. What better mirror image is there than a Sean Connery gone to seed and using his powers for evil?

* Acting sparks. As a truly wicked villain, Connery, one of the most charismatic actors alive, is a no-brainer. And unlike any other Bond besides Dalton, Craig is talented enough to go up against him and survive, even win. Watching the sparks fly between these opposing dynamos would be immeasurably exciting.

* The objection that Connery would bring too many old associations to the role is exactly why he should be cast. He brings his strengths as a hero to the villain's part. and the movie becomes a tug of war between a super-charismatic villain who represents the old Bond and the new Bond, who eventually vanquishes the past. No, Connery does not fit LeChiffre's exact profile, but he has the two vital attributes required for LeChiffre: the paternal air that could easily turn perverse, and physical menace.

* Having trouble picturing Connery as a villain? Imagine him with no hairpiece, shaved nearly bald, and with no mustache or beard. He should look like a dangerous old bastard.

No doubt these reasons have failed to make anyone reconsider rejecting the prospect of Connery as a villain, and it's doubtful that Connery would really be offered the part, but one can always dream.

Edited by blackjack60, 19 October 2005 - 06:20 AM.

[jaguar007]

It's a pity that the best actor ever suited to play LeChiffre played him, but in a stupid comedy. I'm of course referring to Orson Welles, who was and will always be ideally cast in the part (Connery wanted him as Blofeld in the unproduced 'Warhead' film as well).

This brings me to...Connery. No doubt everyone has already dismissed this as a crazy and stupid idea. I think it's worth considering for several factors.

* Box office. Getting the public to watch Casino Royale will not necesarily be easy. I like Craig as Bond but the public isn't going to be automatically drawn to him, or to a Bond film with no gadgets and a down-to-earth tone. Casting Connery as LeChiffre will almost certainly give the movie huge publicity and greatly ratchet up public interest. Casino Royale could easily flop. With Connery on board, and the public excited by a Bond vs. Bond contest, flopping probably couldn't happen. 

* Irony. LeChiffre, like all of Fleming's best villains, is a paternal figure. Who could be a more paternal figure to the new Bond than the very first one? LeChiffre ruthlessly tortures Bond, tauntingly calls him "my dear boy," and tells him that he's doing nothing more than playing "red indians," and for Sean Connery, who outgrew Bond years ago and has often stated so, such lines are deliciously ironic of his real attitudes toward the character. I can imagine LeChriffre's contempt--his avowal that Bond is a dolt playing simplistic games--easily coming out of Connery's mouth. With one role Connery would finally divorce himself from Bond in the eyes of the moviegoers, instead becoming Bond's tormentor and bad conscience. And as Bond says later in the novel, LeChiffre in some ways is his mirror image--the evil man who makes the good man's existence possible. What better mirror image is there than a Sean Connery gone to seed and using his powers for evil?

* Acting sparks. As a truly wicked villain, Connery, one of the most charismatic actors alive, is a no-brainer. And unlike any other Bond besides Dalton, Craig is talented enough to go up against him and survive, even win. Watching the sparks fly between these opposing dynamos would be immeasurably exciting.

* The objection that Connery would bring too many old associations to the role is exactly why he should be cast. He brings his strengths as a hero to the villain's part. and the movie becomes a tug of war between a super-charismatic villain who represents the old Bond and the new Bond, who eventually vanquishes the past. No, Connery does not fit LeChiffre's exact profile, but he has the two vital attributes required for LeChiffre: the paternal air that could easily turn perverse, and physical menace.

* Having trouble picturing Connery as a villain? Imagine him with no hairpiece, shaved nearly bald, and with no mustache or beard. He should look like a dangerous old bastard.

No doubt these reasons have failed to make anyone reconsider rejecting the prospect of Connery as a villain, and it's doubtful that Connery would really be  offered the part, but one can always dream.

I agree that Connery could make an excellent villian. However - with a new Bond, everyones comments will be unjust toward Craig staying the villianis the real Bond. I think Connery could have worked better in a 5th Brosnan film.