85 replies to this topic

[DamnCoffee]

For a moment lets not concentrate on what can be, lets concentrate what could have been.


As we all know Ledger was a marvolous actor, an extremly good looking actor and rough around the edges. Now I have been wondering this for quite sometime, If Heath Ledger was still with us, could be have been a possible successor to Daniel Craig when he hangs up the PPK? I know he's nor the stereotypical Bond actor, but neither is Craig and from what I have seen from Ledger in The Dark Knight, I'm convinced he could pull off anything. I know he's australian, but so was Lazenby, and he made a brilliant Bond in my book.














So how about it? Heath Ledger as James Bond, would it have worked?

[dinovelvet]

So how about it? Heath Ledger as James Bond, would it of worked?

Well, he would have needed a rug pretty soon

[Tarl_Cabot]

I think he's a great talent but I would consider him misscast but not in a cool-works-anyway way, ie Daniel Craig as Bond, Micheal Keaton as Batman.

[bond_azoozbond]

Maybe a bond villain .

[Righty007]

No to Bond but Ledger IS the Joker.

[Vauxhall]

He would have done a great job because he was a very talented actor. However, he wouldn't have felt "right" for the role. I can't exactly put my finger upon why that is though.

Chris is correct though - Ledger is (and always will be) the Joker.

[Righty007]

I can't exactly put my finger upon why that is though.

Brokeback Bond.

[Vauxhall]

I can't exactly put my finger upon why that is though.

Brokeback Bond.

Ah, I see you haven't heard about the camping trip Felix and Bond take in QUANTUM OF SOLACE then?

[Bond Bombshell]

My memory might be playing tricks on me, but wasn't he rumoured to be in the running for Casino Royale at one stage?

I seem to remember thinking then that he wouldn't be right for it.

[DaveBond21]

No to Bond but Ledger IS the Joker.

Until the next time a Batman movie features the Joker.

[Harmsway]

No to Bond but Ledger IS the Joker.

Until the next time a Batman movie features the Joker.

We'll see if someone can make us forget Ledger's Joker. Doubtful.

At any rate, I think he would have made an interesting Bond. He's not a natural choice for me, but I'm not sure he'd have been miscast, either. I'd have to see what he would have done with it before I can judge, and I have an inkling that his talent and natural charisma would have pulled him through just fine.

[Righty007]

I can't exactly put my finger upon why that is though.

Brokeback Bond.

Ah, I see you haven't heard about the camping trip Felix and Bond take in QUANTUM OF SOLACE then?

[sharpshooter]

No to Bond but Ledger IS the Joker.

Until the next time a Batman movie features the Joker.

We'll see if someone can make us forget Ledger's Joker. Doubtful.

Exactly. Sure, the part may be re-cast in the future, but I can't see anyone coming close to what Ledger did. While we can't say what he would have been like as Bond in the off chance he was cast, we can say he owns the role of The Joker.

[Righty007]

No to Bond but Ledger IS the Joker.

Until the next time a Batman movie features the Joker.

We'll see if someone can make us forget Ledger's Joker. Doubtful.

While we can't say what he would have been like as Bond in the off chance he was cast, we can say he owns the role of The Joker.

He owns the role of The Joker.

[Zorin Industries]

He's a great actor. I watched CANDY last night and he was stunning in that. But he was never a Bond - for a myriad of reasons...one being his high living (the sort of thing that gives producers a headache) and he would not have had the presence as Bond. A presence as Heath Ledger, but not Bond...?

[Pierce - Daniel]

i believe he would have made a great Bond. Even when he was rumored way back before Craig was cast. He is a fantastic actor. If he was still alive and working, I would not want him to suceed Craig because it'll always be difficult to forget The Joker.
http://us.movies1.yi...r/feathers9.jpg

[David Schofield]

Consider this - in The Four Feathers, Ledger is essentially a very young, well educated (possibly Eton) man from a background with a certain social status who suddenly has to prove his worth and turns out to be resourceful, brave, ultra-determined, essentially unstoppable.

As Harry Faversham, Ledger is basically Charlie Higson's Young Bond, slightly older.

I have not seen Ledger as the Joker. Comic strips have never been my thing. But as Faversham, Ledger does a very good prototype Bond.

[Pierce - Daniel]

TDK is not a comic book movie.
It's characters are takern from those of a comic book, just as M, Bond, Moneypenny, Felix, Tanner etc. are takern from the Fleming novels not meaning they are based on any books at all.
Ledger isn't being hailed just because he's dead, he really is that good.

[DamnCoffee]

Ledger isn't being hailed just because he's dead, he really is that good.

I agree. One of the highlights of the movie. Though it is interesting to think if Ledger was still with us, would the Joker be just another character in TDK and would Ledger be hailed less for his portrayal of the character?

[Zorin Industries]

Consider this - in The Four Feathers, Ledger is essentially a very young, well educated (possibly Eton) man from a background with a certain social status who suddenly has to prove his worth and turns out to be resourceful, brave, ultra-determined, essentially unstoppable.

As Harry Faversham, Ledger is basically Charlie Higson's Young Bond, slightly older.

I have not seen Ledger as the Joker. Comic strips have never been my thing. But as Faversham, Ledger does a very good prototype Bond.

But that Eton portrayal of Bond as seen in the YOUNG BOND books is very far removed from the cinematic Bond and always has been.

[David Schofield]

Consider this - in The Four Feathers, Ledger is essentially a very young, well educated (possibly Eton) man from a background with a certain social status who suddenly has to prove his worth and turns out to be resourceful, brave, ultra-determined, essentially unstoppable.

As Harry Faversham, Ledger is basically Charlie Higson's Young Bond, slightly older.

I have not seen Ledger as the Joker. Comic strips have never been my thing. But as Faversham, Ledger does a very good prototype Bond.

But that Eton portrayal of Bond as seen in the YOUNG BOND books is very far removed from the cinematic Bond and always has been.

Fair comment - that's my literary Bond obsession for you!

However, had EON not gone down the Craig reboot route, I do think Ledger as a younger, period Bond in the vein of Faversham, even playing up the Eton stuff, might have worked.

[Mike00spy]

Ledger isn't being hailed just because he's dead, he really is that good.

I agree. One of the highlights of the movie. Though it is interesting to think if Ledger was still with us, would the Joker be just another character in TDK and would Ledger be hailed less for his portrayal of the character?

Interesting question. The answer is yes. Let's talk about the psychology of it.

It was one of his last roles.

He died suddenly. It was a tragic death.

The Joker is, for Batman fans AND non fans, the villain most recognized and most fascinating.

We were told for months how great his performace was.

He was allowed to take the character in a completely new direction, darker than the original Batman movie.

You add all of these up and you have every person in the theater hoping for Ledger to shine, WANTING him to shine. You pay more attention to him in his scenes due to the fact that you know you are watching a dead guy on the screen.

So, I do believe that had he still been with us, he would still be considered a great villain, but the cheers wouldn't have been as powerful.

If Daniel Craig had died right before Casino Royale, how would that have changed YOUR opinion of his already flawless performance?


(Before anyone thinks I am knocking him, I would easily rate his performance an A+)

[dodge]

I'm having trouble with this one. I've no doubt that Ledger, a consummate pro, could have pulled the role off. But we all ask far more of Bond. The actors who did it best for me convey an absolutely effortless sense of naturalness, authority and raw Alpha charisma. That effortlessness, imo, can't be faked or worked at--and yet it is the key. I fear we may have seen Heath sweat. Long live the man as The Joker!

[Zorin Industries]

Ledger isn't being hailed just because he's dead, he really is that good.

I agree. One of the highlights of the movie. Though it is interesting to think if Ledger was still with us, would the Joker be just another character in TDK and would Ledger be hailed less for his portrayal of the character?

You pay more attention to him in his scenes due to the fact that you know you are watching a dead guy on the screen.

Really? I'd like to think audiences are a bit more intelligent than that.

Whilst I haven't seen THE DARK KNIGHT just yet (and will do), I don't think Heath Ledger is the first actor to die before a last film role was released. I watched him in the superb CANDY last night. I didn't watch it thinking he had died. I just watched it thinking he was a great actor.

I feel there is a bit of mawkish rubber-necking going on with THE DARK KNIGHT, but Ledger himself would have been the first to laugh at that and not give a toss.

[Loomis]

I don't think a lesson of the Craig era is that simply anyone can be Bond just so long as he happens to be a brilliant actor.... for the simple reason that I think Craig does (apart from the notorious hair colour issue, of course) look like Fleming's 007 anyway, what with an athletic physique, good looks offset by a "cruel mouth", and piercing eyes.

Some fans' thinking seems to be: well, they were able to polish up Craig into Bond, so they can do it with just about anyone. Overlooking the fact that Craig did look the part to begin with. More or less.

[Aris007]

I think that Ledger would have done very bad films if he had been Bond! His look isn't the appropriate and he hasn't that Bondian thing on his look overall! Craig has that cold confrontation for everything. That's what makes him a good Bond. I think Ledger is a more the type of Pierce or dalton Bond!

[Zorin Industries]

Some fans' thinking seems to be: well, they were able to polish up Craig into Bond, so they can do it with just about anyone. Overlooking the fact that Craig did look the part to begin with. More or less.

And if he wears a tuxedo in anything else then he most definitely will be Bond. It's the Clive Owen syndrome and really demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of why some actors can be Bond and some can't. I find it quite baffling coming from people who know every detail about every film, but can't see the word for their nostalgic trees when wishing good actors were involved in Bond and not just Roger Moore clones.

[Harmsway]

I don't think a lesson of the Craig era is that simply anyone can be Bond just so long as he happens to be a brilliant actor.... for the simple reason that I think Craig does (apart from the notorious hair colour issue, of course) look like Fleming's 007 anyway, what with an athletic physique, good looks offset by a "cruel mouth", and piercing eyes.

Some fans' thinking seems to be: well, they were able to polish up Craig into Bond, so they can do it with just about anyone. Overlooking the fact that Craig did look the part to begin with. More or less.

Entirely agreed.

[Mister E]

Nope.

[honour]

No.As good of an actor as Heath was,I just can't picture him as Bond.

Edited by honour, 28 July 2008 - 08:09 PM.