Daniel Day-Lewis as Bond?

The Domino Effect

Oh dear. Superb actor. Could probably do a decent English accent , but I just don't see him as Bond at all. I can see Boyd's point and agree that physically he is similar to Fleming's Bond, but he's too old and while he could convincingly portray dust if required to, I don't see him being an action star.

He'd unquestionably have been a far more realistic Fleming than Dominic Cooper, but not Bond.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/jamesbond/10333083/Is-Daniel-Day-Lewis-the-next-James-Bond.html

Number24

Not an action star? Have you seen 'The Last Mohican' or 'Gangs of New York'?

I think Daniel Day-Lewis could have been a superb 007 in the past. He is born in 1957 so he is obviously too old, but he could have replaced Roger Moore in the 1980's and done a marvelous job.

Number24

Here are a couple of pictures to show what DDL could have looked like playing Bond in the 1980's:

The Domino Effect

Number24 wrote:

Not an action star? Have you seen 'The Last Mohican' or 'Gangs of New York'?

I think Daniel Day-Lewis could have been a superb 007 in the past. He is born in 1957 so he is obviously too old, but he could have replaced Roger Moore in the 1980's and done a marvelous job.

Although active in Last of the Mohicans and Gangs of New York, he was never an action star, per se. However, my real point was indeed his current age. I can't imagine we'll ever see a non-action Bond no matter how introspective or deep future writers/directors may get with the character so we'll always need an actor capable of spectacular action scenes.

Number24

I agree he wasn't an action star. But my point was that there was no reason why he couldn't have been an action star back then. He had leading man looks, was tall and atheletic. He also has plenty of dedication, also in the physical field. He trained boxing for 18 months before filming 'The Boxer' and trained in fieldcraft with an Army Ranger for Mohicans. In other words: he wasn't an action star, but there was no reasons why he couldn't have been if he wanted to.

Asp9mm

That first pic of him in his tux looks great. He even has a bit of Hoagy Carmichael about him. If he did his hair a la Bond with the comma.... perfect.

Blackleiter

Number24 wrote:

I agree he wasn't an action star. But my point was that there was no reason why he couldn't have been an action star back then. He had leading man looks, was tall and atheletic. He also has plenty of dedication, also in the physical field. He trained boxing for 18 months before filming 'The Boxer' and trained in fieldcraft with an Army Ranger for Mohicans. In other words: he wasn't an action star, but there was no reasons why he couldn't have been if he wanted to.

I think he would have been an interesting choice, and I am convinced Day-Lewis is such a dedicated actor that he would have been able to pull it off.

BIG TAM

He'd make a better villain.

Napoleon Plural

I think Boyd meant in his younger days, in particular the skirt-chasing doctor in The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

Number24

I think so too. The picture with him at a border checkpoint is from that movie.

Thatonesecretagentguy

I think he could do a villian role well, but he's simply too old now to play 007.
I the past, yes. He could have done it well I think.

Le Samourai

While I agree that he's too old now, I think he would have been a great Bond when he was younger.

And I don't consider him not being "an action star" to be a negative thing. None of the Bond actors were action stars in the modern sense of the phrase when they took on the role. And "action star" seldom equals "good actor."

Muston

He looks great and would have been a perfect Fleming Bond. My vote now though is with Benedict Cumberbatch.

David Schofield

We've already done this version of James Bond.

Timothy Dalton. 1987-1989. (Maybe Boydie didn't remember Tim as he's not done a film with him... 8-) )

I doubt Day-Lewis would have done Bond much differently, though I'm sure both he and Dalton would have been better-served with authentic period pieces based on Fleming's original work without the necessary EON movie tropes.

Bodie

Daniel Day Lewis certainly had the right look for Bond back in the 80s. Given his dedication to living the part he would probably gone out and shot two people just to know what it was like to be given OO status.

The Domino Effect

Bodie wrote:

Daniel Day Lewis certainly had the right look for Bond back in the 80s. Given his dedication to living the part he would probably gone out and shot two people just to know what it was like to be given OO status.

Brilliant!

And we would have been guaranteed to have seen a best actor Oscar given to someone in a Bond film.

CmdrAtticus

The problem is not Lewis being suitable - the problem is Lewis himself. He prefers taking time to pick the right character and projects (which is why he does not do a lot of film) so he would have never been interested in doing it to begin with.