Alternative Actors for James Bond
Dovy
Posts: 206MI6 Agent
We know that there were a number of actors who were in the running for James Bond, some of whom weren't even British. Why did the producers even consider anyone who wasn't British for a spy who worked for the British government? But if they had selected actors who were American, who might have been a good choice? A couple I read about were Clint Eastwood and Adam West. But I think Robert Horton would have been very good. Maybe even James Drury or other Western stars.
Comments
The two American actors who got the furthest were John Gavin (almost in DAF- he had actually signed up when Sean Connery decided to return. Eon paid Gavin in full) and James Brolin (almost in OP- you can check out his tests on the DVD, etc- until Roger Moore decided to return).
I think both happened at a time where the franchise's future was uncertain and EON needed big box office numbers, especially in the US. DAF happened after OHMSS and Connery apparently had resigned as 007. I could be wrong, but I think the slow but steady decline of Bond's popularity in the 1980's had started by the time OP was being made?
If they had used an American, how would they have explained the American accent?
One would hope they would have coached an American actor to do a proper British accent...but that was back then, who knows what they had in mind. If Bond was to be cast with an American actor these days I have no question that said actor would have to be able to do a spot on British accent.
Actually, It's interesting to see Cary Grant or Burt Reynolds in the Bond role, not a fan of either of them, but it's just interesting on what would happen to the franchise if they've got cast instead, right?
I also liked Gavin, despite of him being American, physically I think he could do well.
The man that I also want to see as Bond is Ian Ogilvy, he did have the looks, then so the acting.
No offense (or against) to Sir Roger (he's still the original Simon Templar), but I think Ogilvy did improved on portraying the some aspects of the character, and it's mainly to do with his acting chops, I mean Moore was more on charisma, looks and charm and eyebrows, but Ogilvy was more on the character, the viceral.
And Ogilvy had also the looks back then, he would likely to fit in the 70's, I mean it would be comfortable to see him with his leading ladies, in terms of age gaps, Moore was old enough for his leading ladies that they looked young enough to be his daughter, or worse, granddaughter.
Ogilvy was just in the right age at the time to play Bond.
I have never liked the aspect of having young females with a much older Bond. Whether Connery, Moore or Craig.
MI6 HQ said:
...It's interesting to see Cary Grant or Burt Reynolds in the Bond role...
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if we're talking about American actors trying to play a British character, Cary Grant actually was born British, moved to the States when he was 16. I know Americans who think he's a British actor because that well-known fun-to-imitate speaking voice sounds British to them (Cary Grant said nobody talked like that in real life, not even Cary Grant)
I think he'dve made a perfect Bond, and maybe some of the cinematic Bond persona comes from his style. We know North by NorthWest was influential on the early films. The only bit I cant imagine is maybe some of the more violent action sequences, but in his earliest films Cary was an incredible physical comedian, and got his start as a circus acrobat, so he coulda done it,
Then again I think of him flirting with waif-like Audrey Hepburn in Charade, and that was right round the time of the first BondFilms. So maybe Cary wouldve been perfect, but only if the film series had started 10 years earlier.