26 replies to this topic

[Kissy]

I attended the 40th year anniversary of the Bond films at the premiere of Die Another day.

Each of the Bonds stood next to each other, except Connery who was not there.
Brosnan was an inch shorter than Dalton and Lazenby and a little taller than Moore (who looked taller than what I expected).

I was 15 feet of the 4 bond actors away. Later, I had the honour to give Mr Dalton the hand and he really looked the 6 ft 2 what he is ussualy listed. He looked 2 inches taller than my (I'm 6 ft).

I have to say that I was surprised that Brosnan was only an inch or an half inch shorter than Dalton and Lazenby, because when I meeted Brosnan back then in 94' in New York, Brosnan looked my height!

I also saw Sir Connery back then in 99' at the Entrapment
Premiere. Connery looked back then 6 ft 2 or maybe 6 ft 1.5. He could have been very well 6 ft 3 at his peak. Despite what some poeple say Cathy Zeta-Jones is a tall lady and Ving Rhames is shorter than you expect.

Edited by Kissy, 23 November 2005 - 10:08 PM.

[Jim]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

[Kalas]

Brosnan isn't taller than 6 ft, i saw him back then in 1991 and he was barely taller me. He looked a few inches shorter than one of my friends who is 6 ft 3.

Edited by Kalas, 24 November 2005 - 09:56 AM.

[SecretAgentFan]

And my current dog is an inch taller than my previous dog who is, however, taller than my neighbour

[Loomis]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

Dunno, but if Craig is indeed under some kind of unofficial, unspoken regulation height imposed by Bond fans/Eon/whoever, then I'm even more delighted that he's the new 007.

Stick it to 'em, Dan!

[Qwerty]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

Guess it was not just me noticing this. It seems to be the topic of the month here at CBn.

[Tarl_Cabot]

My only concern with Craig is the blonde hair..otherwise I don't care who's taller than who.

but having said that...I have to admit...being a huge football fan(SD)I kinda like the fact that San Diego Quarterback Drew Brees is only 6'...that's considered too short for an NFL starter by conventional scouts;the assumption being that he cannot see over the line and the rest of the field. He's playing very well...his back up is 6'5.

[Loomis]

It's not how tall Craig is, it's how tall he seems, and what with "the magic of the movies", etc., we have nothing to worry about.

[Kissy]

They should cast a short-girl as Vesper Lind.
Charlize Theron is actually 5 ft 11 and a Bond girl as tall as Bond is kinda strange.

[Genrewriter]

It's not how tall Craig is, it's how tall he seems, and what with "the magic of the movies", etc., we have nothing to worry about.

Yeah, funny thing about camera angles.

I wouldn't worry. Heck, Salma Hayek always looks fairly tall on screen and she's about 5'2.

[Qwerty]

They should cast a short-girl as Vesper Lind.

Point taken, but I want a solid actress in the role firstly (IMO).

[medrecess]

Hey kalas ,i recently saw him in Mumbai when he was here recently and to me he looked max 6.He could be little more than 5 "11" also.

[Loomis]

Currently reading "From Russia With Love" (and boy is there a quantum leap in quality between FRWL and its rather lifeless and unexciting predecessors, "Live and Let Die", "Moonraker" and "Diamonds Are Forever" ), and noticed the following:

Bond was six feet tall, but this man (Darko Kerim) was at least two inches taller and he gave the impression of being twice as broad and twice as thick as Bond. Bond looked up into two wide apart, smiling blue eyes.... (chapter 13, "BEA Takes You There").

So, at 5'11", Craig is indeed too short to be Bond. However, all of the other Bond actors are too tall: Brosnan is an inch over the regulation height, while Connery and Dalton both tower over Flemming's vision of the character at an utterly unacceptable 6'2". Fine for Kerim Bey, but ludicrous for 007. And small wonder that Lazenby is usually considered the worst of the lot: he's almost 6'3"!

To sum up, Craig may not match the physical requirements for Felming's Bond, but then no one else ever did.

[Seannery]

Currently reading "From Russia With Love" (and boy is there a quantum leap in quality between FRWL and its rather lifeless and unexciting predecessors, "Live and Let Die", "Moonraker" and "Diamonds Are Forever" ), and noticed the following:

Bond was six feet tall, but this man (Darko Kerim) was at least two inches taller and he gave the impression of being twice as broad and twice as thick as Bond. Bond looked up into two wide apart, smiling blue eyes.... (chapter 13, "BEA Takes You There").

So, at 5'11", Craig is indeed too short to be Bond. However, all of the other Bond actors are too tall: Brosnan is an inch over the regulation height, while Connery and Dalton both tower over Flemming's vision of the character at an utterly unacceptable 6'2". Fine for Kerim Bey, but ludicrous for 007. And small wonder that Lazenby is usually considered the worst of the lot: he's almost 6'3"!

To sum up, Craig may not match the physical requirements for Felming's Bond, but then no one else ever did.

Ah, but Loomis--you must make the distinction between cinematic Bond and literary Bond. There has always been a strong distinction. Cinematic Bond is Sean--therefore 6'2". Alas everyone is within an inch but Danny. Perhaps he will overcome his shortcomings.

[icecold]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

My thoughts exactly. What does it matter? Bond's size has never been a big deal in the books, just part of his description, it's not like he's Superman who should be 6'4" and built like a tank. He's a spy, if anything being of average height is more befitting him blending in. I know I notice someone who's 6'+ before someone who's 5'8-6'

Edited by icecold, 24 March 2006 - 06:09 PM.

[Seannery]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

My thoughts exactly. What does it matter? Bond's size has never been a big deal in the books, just part of his description, it's not like he's Superman who should be 6'4" and built like a tank. He's a spy, if anything being of average height is more befitting him blending in. I know I notice someone who's 6'+ before someone who's 5'8-6'

I for one don't obssess over the height though I think it is one of the ideal characteristics of cinematic Bond. I don't think Craig's relative shortness is a fatal objection but it is not a plus. Cinematic Bond isn't suppose to be realistic as a spy or human. He is part super hero.

[shady ginzo]

I agree that hight is of little consequence, the pictured we have so far look fine to me, he towers over dench in much the same way as Brosnan did so despite him being 5'11 in person, I can say with absolute certainty that he will look "bond height" (whatever that may be) on screen. when was the last time you watched a bond film and were distracted by the size of the actors!? Personally i have never done so as onscreen people look exactally the height the production team WANT them to look!

[Double-Oh-Zero]

...while Connery and Dalton both tower over Flemming's vision of the character at an utterly unacceptable 6'2". Fine for Kerim Bey, but ludicrous for 007.

To sum up, Craig may not match the physical requirements for Felming's Bond, but then no one else ever did.

Ah, but in TB, Bond gets caught on "the Rack" and subsequently comments that he "must be six inches taller." If we were to take that as fact, Connery is actually 5'8".

So there.

Ahem...anyone want to have a fanwank over Dalton's overcompensation in height?

[Loomis]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

My thoughts exactly.

I for one don't obssess over the height

Me neither. But a lot of people seem concerned that Craig isn't the "correct" height for Bond, and it just amuses me that none of the actors actually matched the height stipulated by Flemmmmmmmming. So if people are going to say that Craig is "too short", shouldn't we also be allowed to claim that the supposedly wonderful Connery was too tall?

(Still, continuity's so slapdash in Flemyng that I expect he gives different versions of Bond's height in different books.)

[Seannery]

Why is this obsessing people? I simply don't get it.

My thoughts exactly.

I for one don't obssess over the height

Me neither. But a lot of people seem concerned that Craig isn't the "correct" height for Bond, and it just amuses me that none of the actors actually matched the height stipulated by Flemmmmmmmming. So if people are going to say that Craig is "too short", shouldn't we also be allowed to claim that the supposedly wonderful Connery was too tall?

(Still, continuity's so slapdash in Flemyng that I expect he gives different versions of Bond's height in different books.)

Though the rest of my post goes on to say that cinematic Bond goes by Connery--6'2". So Danny's a little short but he can possibly overcome it--it's not a deadly objection.

[doublenoughtspy]

Like it or not, the perception of height and masculinity are intertwined.

Taller men get better jobs, are seen as more handsome, make more money, etc. etc. Up until Bush beat Kerry - the taller candidate always won the Presidential election (supposedly).

People in China have taken it to extremes lately, having their legs broken and stretched to become taller.

Most short men I've met in the workplace do have the famed "Napoleon Complex."

Craig may be the "shortest" actor to ever play Bond, but at 5' 11" or so - he is by no means "short."

[Seannery]

Like it or not, the perception of height and masculinity are intertwined.

Taller men get better jobs, are seen as more handsome, make more money, etc. etc. Up until Bush beat Kerry - the taller candidate always won the Presidential election (supposedly).

People in China have taken it to extremes lately, having their legs broken and stretched to become taller.

Most short men I've met in the workplace do have the famed "Napoleon Complex."

Craig may be the "shortest" actor to ever play Bond, but at 5' 11" or so - he is by no means "short."

Yeah he's just short(er)--but not to a deadly degree.

[mccartney007]

I don't understand what this fascination is about either, but I'll join in anyway.

All of my judgements are based on my personal face-to-face meetings with each actor. Daniel Craig is the only one I'm not sure about as we only met very briefly on an uneven street in Utah (and I was wearing snowboots).

Daniel Craig is around 6'
Pierce is 6'2"
Roger & Sean are about 6'1"
Timothy Dalton & George Lazenby are about 6'3"

I was surprised that Connery and Moore were both shorter than me as I've always heard Connery was this massive human being. I expected Moore to at least be as tall as me (I'm 6'2") but I suppose both he and Connery could have gotten a little bit shorter over the course of their 70+ years.

Funnily enough, Dalton has the most noticeable presence and aura surrounding him. Unless it's just me?

[doublenoughtspy]

Funnily enough, Dalton has the most noticeable presence and aura surrounding him. Unless it's just me?

I haven't met him but I believe it.

The Most Dangerous Bond. Ever.

[Seannery]

Funnily enough, Dalton has the most noticeable presence and aura surrounding him. Unless it's just me?

I haven't met him but I believe it.

The Most Dangerous Bond. Ever.

Though if he saw Connery in 1965 that might make a difference.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Yeah, I don't see what the big bruhaha is over Craig's height either. Sure, it would be better if he was 6'0, but an inch is not going to make a noticeable difference to viewers. At 5'11, Daniel Craig is tall enough to be Bond. The key to his success, however, will not be how tall he is, but rather how much presence he has on-screen as 007. That will make or break his Bondness.

By the way, for the record, I would say that a James Bond candidate should range in height from 5'10 at the shortest to 6'3, maaaybeee 6'4, at the tallest. Of course, I also thought that the 007 candidate should have dark hair as well and we all know how that turned out.

[Dr. Noah]

It would be great if just one of these discussions was actually about acting ability.

Edited by Dr. Noah, 25 March 2006 - 04:16 PM.