Potential Bonds Of Years Gone By

BIG TAM

In our fantasy what-could-have-been world I wonder what people think of the following possible Bond castings:-

John Gavin in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

James Brolin in OCTOPUSSY

Sam Neill in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

I couldn't see Gavin or Brolin in their films, though both had a good look.

Neill though seemed a very good choice. I remember seeing him in REILLY: ACE OF SPIES & thinking he had a look of Connery about him.

Another possibilty: How would THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS have turned out with Brosnan instead of Dalton? I can't see there being much difference performance-wise & therefore the film probably wouldn't have turned out that differently. But would LICENCE TO KILL have existed with Brosnan in the role? Possibly not & certainly not as hard-edged if so. I can imagine an actor like Raul Julia in the part of Sanchez opposite Brosnan, perhaps to counter-balance the smoothness.

Bodie

I remember seeing an article years ago (can't remember where) listing alternative Bonds for the different decades. I think it was:

1960s Laurence Harvey
1970s Ian Ogilvy
1980s Lewis Collins
1990s Sam Neil
2000s James Purefoy

I would have loved to see what Sam Neil would have done with the part. Aparrently when he auditioned everybody wanted him apart from Cubby Broccolli. If you get the chance watch a low budget movie called Hostage where he plays an MI6 hitman.

I think Lewis Collins and James Purefoy would also have made good Bonds. I keep reading that Purefoy is to be the new Simon Templar but nothing ever seems to come of it.

GordoLeiter

2000's - Daniel Radcliffe

I remember hearing about this one a while back, i laughed my ass off at the thought of him as Bond

Dutchfinger

BIG TAM wrote:

But would LICENCE TO KILL have existed with Brosnan in the role? Possibly not & certainly not as hard-edged if so. I can imagine an actor like Raul Julia in the part of Sanchez opposite Brosnan, perhaps to counter-balance the smoothness.

I think Brosnan would have actually been able to pull LTK off, of course it is a real Dalton movie and all, but I could picture Brosnan doing a lot of the scene's from LTK.

Moore Than

In addition to the above. Cary Grant, Patrick McGoohan and David Niven were amongst those who were either offered or considered for the role in Doctor No. Burt Reynolds has said he was offered the role (after Diamonds Are Forever) but turned it down because he thought Bond should not be played by an American. Mel Gibson was apparently in the running for The Living Daylights. Henry Cavill did a screentest for Casino Royale.