Bond's film ethnicity/national identity
Gassy Man
USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
Pardon me if this has been answered before, but I didn't see anything specific when I did a search.
What is Bond's film ethnicity/national identity? We know that Fleming eventually suggested Bond was half Scots and half Swiss, but until the Craig era, I don't recall any onscreen confirmation (and even then, the Craig films reimagine). The only references I've seen on film are that Bond is British or English.
Now, one's ethnic identity does not have to be the same as one's national identity, but I don't recall any onscreen confirmation that Bond was anything but English except that he has been played by actors of different ethnic/national backgrounds. But in similar fashion, Asian actors of different ethnic backgrounds routinely play characters who are different (a person of Japanese ancestry playing a North Korean, for instance, as is the case of Harold Sakata), so I don't know that that alone speaks to the character. Could any caucasian actor therefore play Bond so long as he "looks and sounds" the part, regardless of ethnicity/national identity?
What is Bond's film ethnicity/national identity? We know that Fleming eventually suggested Bond was half Scots and half Swiss, but until the Craig era, I don't recall any onscreen confirmation (and even then, the Craig films reimagine). The only references I've seen on film are that Bond is British or English.
Now, one's ethnic identity does not have to be the same as one's national identity, but I don't recall any onscreen confirmation that Bond was anything but English except that he has been played by actors of different ethnic/national backgrounds. But in similar fashion, Asian actors of different ethnic backgrounds routinely play characters who are different (a person of Japanese ancestry playing a North Korean, for instance, as is the case of Harold Sakata), so I don't know that that alone speaks to the character. Could any caucasian actor therefore play Bond so long as he "looks and sounds" the part, regardless of ethnicity/national identity?
Comments
This includes English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish (geographically- don't get into the politics), plus many small islands (eg Isle Of Man).
Ian Fleming specifically defined Bond as having a Scots father and a Swiss mother. The films have been vague on this point until Skyfall.
The problem is that too many people do not realise that the words "English" and "British" are not synonyms. Since most people in the British Isles speak English, it is too often assumed that we are all English- just like James Bond isn't.
The film series more often follows Fleming than contradicts him (eg, Bond claims to have gone to Cambridge in YOLT and TSWLM), usually in minor details. If anyone can suggest a better source than Ian Fleming for details about James Bond, please go ahead.
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Still, if Asians can be portrayed by any number of varying ethnicities or nationalities, couldn't any white person essentially play Bond so long as he looks and sounds the part?
BUT an English accent is still not necessary for an actor to play Bond, whether he be Burt Reynolds or not. Brosnan and Lazenby don't sound English, and most famously neither does Connery.
An american accent would be out of place for Bond.
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"For England James"
'For England Alec"
I think EON did indeed forget for a while that Bond was NOT English but British
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It's both- the former during the PTS, the latter at the climax.
British for English. Also I think England sounds better than
Britain. " For Britain, James" or in Spy " so does Britain" ?
England sounds better to me.
He's been played by all of the four home nations
English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh. -{
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It good like I does ! Or post thing like what I has wrote .
( Morecambe and Wise -{ )
Ethnicity? Anglo-Saxon white Caucasian. This is never in doubt.
As far as his nationality is concerned, Bond is British. We do know that he had a Scottish father and a Swiss mother, and that he was educated at Eton, or at least, was, until he was expelled.
Not sure about different ethnic backgrounds - I think you'll find that all of the actors to play Bond have been of white Anglo-Saxon descent. But I'll grant that the actors have had different nationalities. However, all but two of those were British - Brosnan, being Irish, and Lazenby, an Australian.
Theoretically, yes. But I just cannot see any American actor that would be able to play the role of Bond. James Bond is a British institution, and I do think that EON should support the British arts industry by employing predominantly British actors to star in Bond films, and British artists to sing the theme song. I can settle for a non-British actor playing Bond if there was no British actor at the time that make the cut.
However, given the number of British actors' names that have been floating about as a successor to Craig, I don't think that'll happen anytime soon.
They can, but as indicated above, I firmly believe that preference should be given to British actors.
No, no, no. A thousand times no! This is not negotiable, as far as I'm concerned!
But with Bond, it seems it is an entirely different situation, a different phenomenon althogether in terms of audience perception and scale of pop culture notoriety. It could be argued that stretching casting limits to include a Commonwealth actor, Lazenby, might have gone against him in terms of public acceptance. For similar reasons, it is unwritten but IMO unnegotiable in the public mindset that Bond must be a heterosexual, caucasian British man and I dare the producers (if they would listen to me) to cast anyone else outside of this criteria (remember the rumor about casting ER's Goran Visnjic?)
Mancunian is an English accent but maybe not appropriate for Bond.
Daltons accent slips a few times in license to kill
No, you say "English" because you are mistaken. See post 2, above. Britain has many accents, not just one, so to that extent you're correct in saying that there is no such thing as "a" British accent but not all of them are suitable for playing James Bond- some of those accents are English, some Scottish, etc.
The innumerable amount of different English accents come from within England, not Britain. See post 2 above.
I speak with a mild Scottish accent, and I'm a stiff-arse Brit.
Correct, I should have said English Received Pronunciation.