11 replies to this topic

[Q's Tie Collection]

Six official movie James Bonds. Six different portrayals of the same character. Do we know how the Bond actors regarded each others performance in the role aside from the usual polite blank statements of approval that Bond actors usually issued when asked about their successors?

Unsurprisingly most seem to have been huge fans of Connery - with Brosnan even highlighting a scene in Goldfinger as the one that opened his eyes to the possibilities of cinema. Moore and Connery appear to have been very friendly, even during the so-called Battle of the Bonds of 1983 (ultimately won by Moore and EON's Octopussy) they lavished a fair bit of praise on each other.

On the other hand, I'm not convinced that Timothy Dalton was much of a fan of Moore's Bond. I remember watching an interview with Dalton where he essentially condemned the silliness of those films. Moore has never commented on Dalton's films, I don't think, claiming not to have seen them - a diplomatic tack that, interestingly, Pierce Brosnan seems to be copying with regard to Daniel Craig.

[Goodnight]

I remember hearing Pierce Brosnan on Radio 1 once, (this was when CR was being shot) Daniel Craig had got injured, and Brosnan was bitching about him, basically saying he was a sissy.

I think it was a bit callous of him to say that (not in a personal way, I like Brosnan) given the army of craignotbond'ers about must have annoyed Daniel and alot of other people too.

[jaguar007]

I remember hearing Pierce Brosnan on Radio 1 once, (this was when CR was being shot) Daniel Craig had got injured, and Brosnan was bitching about him, basically saying he was a sissy.

I think it was a bit callous of him to say that (not in a personal way, I like Brosnan) given the army of craignotbond'ers about must have annoyed Daniel and alot of other people too.

I seem to recall Brosnan defending Craig when he was injured. The press made a big deal of it and I remember Brosnan saying something like poor Daniel, and that he had been injured a few times during the Bond films and nobody made a mess about it. I think it was Brosnan, but maybe it was Moore that said that.

[Q's Tie Collection]

Well, Moore was certainly injured a few times while making Bond. He certainly smashed his knee pretty badly during the filming of Live And Let Die; I'm fairly sure he also had kidney stones around that period. Plus, he was pretty ill during the filming of Moonraker.

It's a tough life being 007.

Moore seems to have been full of praise for the Bond portrayals of Brosnan and Craig. Good old Rog!

[David Schofield]

I often wish the old Bonds were able to be more honest about the others.

Lazenby is well-documented on Brosnan, for example (whether one agrees or not). It's nice to know that without toeing the party line, previous actors can simply say they do not agree (or otherwise) with the way the other played the part.

Wouldn't it be great if Brosnan were able to open up on Craig: "Come on, James Bond can't be a shortarse who's too ugly to ever get laid"

Moore on Dalton: "What was he thinking, the uptight, pretentious fool? Fleming wrote ludicrous comic strip stuff which cannot be taken seriously!"

Dalton on them all: "But I look like the romantic hero Kingsley Amis saw in Fleming's books - you lot aren't - so there. Right, I'm off to hide away and brood".

Craig on the rest: "Wimps! James Bond has to look like a nutter. They didn't, I do".

Connery on them: "I am James Bond. I am".

Lazenby. "You guys learned to act. Jesus, I cracked Bond without even a lesson. You have to BE James Bond, not ponce about at it."

Anymore???

[darthbond]

A well documented case on the hatred that most people have about Brosnan or Craig.

darthbond

[David_M]

On the other hand, I'm not convinced that Timothy Dalton was much of a fan of Moore's Bond. I remember watching an interview with Dalton where he essentially condemned the silliness of those films.

I don't remember Dalton really bashing Moore. What I remember (and may still have on tape somewhere) is an interview for TLD where he says something along the lines of:

"Well, when you're flying a mini-jet out of a horse's behind, you sort of have to play it with a raised eyebrow, don't you?" (Laughter)

I didn't detect any ill will toward Roger with this remark, it was more just a case of, "We're taking a different approach with this one," combined with, "hey, we do what we're paid to do." (After all, this is a guy still fairly fresh from "Brenda Starr" and "Flash Gordon," so he knew something about silly).

I don't think I've ever heard Dalton disparage any of the Bonds, really. And I know Roger's never put any of them down.

It's doubtful we'll ever know what any of the actors really think of the others. The ones who came earlier would look bitter if they dissed their replacements, and the ones who came later would look disrespectful if they didn't give props to their predecessors. As controversial as Craig was when he signed on, imagine if he'd kicked off his tenure by insulting one or more of the previous Bond actors. Talk about a sure-fire method to lose a chunk of your audience.

If you ever meet one of these guys and get them drunk, ask them what they really think about the others. Short of that, I don't think you'll ever know.

[Royal Dalton]

That's right. Dalton was really just saying Roger Moore could get away with that sort of Bond film, but he couldn't.

[darthbond]

Well, we know Roger is a fan of Craig and a few others have given their impressions. (Positive, I think.)

darthbond

[jaguar007]

It's doubtful we'll ever know what any of the actors really think of the others. The ones who came earlier would look bitter if they dissed their replacements, and the ones who came later would look disrespectful if they didn't give props to their predecessors. As controversial as Craig was when he signed on, imagine if he'd kicked off his tenure by insulting one or more of the previous Bond actors. Talk about a sure-fire method to lose a chunk of your audience.

If you ever meet one of these guys and get them drunk, ask them what they really think about the others. Short of that, I don't think you'll ever know.

Well we do know what Brosnan and Laz think of each other. If I recall correctly it was Brosnan who initially bashed Lazenby and said something about how he would love to remake OHMSS. Lazenby pubically replied by basically calling Brosnan a puff.

[Q's Tie Collection]

I didn't mean to suggest that Dalton disparaged anybody. He certainly didn't. Just reading between the lines, which, unless it is the public Brosnan v Lazenby rift (which I was completely unaware of), we all have to do.

However, Dalton DID say of the Moore years during a Licence To Kill premiere interview with Nick Owen: "They were comedic, they were send-ups, they were tongue-in-cheek, and that's not really a Bond story. A Bond story should be believable."

He prefaced his remarks by saying how "wonderfully well done" the Moore movies had been, but I think it is quite clear that Dalton wasn't really a fan.

[BoogieBond]

Saw Dalton interviewed when he was doing Hot Fuzz publicity
Apart from the fact he came over very well and as a really nice guy, he praised Craig and Casino Royale. Called it terrific and said they went further than he did in his 2 films. Reading between the lines, I think Dalton could have done CR 20 years earlier(if things had turned out differently). The interviewee said the "years had been kind to him" in that he had been re-appraised post CR as 20 years ahead of his time.

Connery was interviewed during the South Bank show, said Craig was terrific liked CR etc. I expected this of him, Craig is closest to him in his portayal.

Moore has said Craig is a cracking actor, but Moore would say that, cos he is a gentlemen.

Yes I think Dalton felt Moore films were a little too comedic and lite for him, but always said they were wonderfully done.


During some publicity Broz sort of mocked Craig when he heard he had his teeth knocked out during the parkour sequences. But said it in jest and said Craig would be great.

Edited by BoogieBond, 23 February 2010 - 09:56 AM.