Well, hello, Mr. Bond. Or, maybe not.
This subject has been discussed at other blogs but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give you a chance to voice your thoughts here. Every time I see Richard in a tuxedo, I usually find myself thinking of James Bond or some old-time movie star. He looks so dashing, handsome and suave . . . and he’s got the physicality for the role, that’s for sure. But of course, he is also a fantastically gifted actor, multi-faceted. We want to see him win awards for his performances. Can’t remember a Bond movie ever being nominated for Best Actor.
Would playing Bond be a step down for him, a move in the wrong direction?
And then there is the possiblity of playing a Bond baddie–in some cases, they’ve been the most interesting character in certain Bond films. A good villain can, in fact, steal the show (Gisborne, anyone?) So what do you think? Vote in the poll below and feel free to add your comments.
Six actors have portrayed Bond since the first film starring Sean Connery, "Dr. No."
Well-known actors including Christopher Lee, Sean Bean, Robert Carlyle and Toby Stephens have all played roles as baddies in Bond films.
the armitage effect 
That’s a very unfair poll at this particular time, Fedoralady, as we are absolutely starved for anything new. I’d say Heck Yeah to just about any part 😉
Goody, baddie, deodorant advert, I’d go for anything!
I know what you mean. But this one has been dancing around in my head again, so I thought I’d toss it out there. And it was another good excuse to post a pic of Richard in a tux. 😉
I read he would prefer to be a baddie. But I want him to be the hero.
I know, it would be nice to have him survive the closing credits, wouldn’t it?
Voted for #3; I’m not a fan of the Bond franchise to be honest, it just doesn’t appeal to me at all. AIthough I’m sure he’d be a great baddie (and I’m sure the money would be good too..the exposure would probably help his Richard III project…)!
That brings up an interesting point. Money as well as exposure. The pay to play a Bond baddie could be good enough to tempt him (along with the chance to play those bad guys he loves so much) in order to help finance his dream project. I know he’s not a mercenary fellow, but it’s a consideration.
I think it was Gary Oldman who said he took on roles in big budget films he wouldn’t have done otherwise in order to finance his directorial debut. I know Richard is not a mercenary person but he may have to do the same for his RIII project…
Exactly. And there’s no shame in that, either. Heck, if Sir Laurence Olivier could do shlock like Clash of the Titans and The Betsy and Polaroid commercials in order to leave his family with Joan Plowright a larger inheritance when he died, I see no problem with Richard taking on more “commercial” big-budget films to help make his dream project a reality. Of course, I don’t want him to be in crap, but everything he does isn’t going to be on the level of Shakespeare or Chekov . . . he needs to be in films that are commercial successes and not just critical ones if he wants to keep getting offers. That’s just the way it is. Of course, everyone’s definition of what is and isn’t crap also varies. 😉
I agree. For me, the Bond films are part of a cold cure when the doctor yells at me, “Stay down!” They’re sufficiently mindless and entertaining that I can lie there and nurse my toddy without going nuts. However, you’ll note that the actors who have played Bond villains have often gone on to much better roles in more challenging films, while the actors who have played Bond don’t seem to do much that’s noteworthy afterward. I think Bond is a very physically demanding role for not a lot of advantage. On the other hand, a well-wrought villain could be a treat — well paid, less physically demanding, and more exposure with more dramatic range.
I’m really fond of Daniel Craig as James Bond and the direction the franchise has taken since he’s been in the role (less campy). I could see Richard being a great baddie opposite Craig. Although the Bond baddies always die and I’d sure like for him to live for once. 🙂
Wouldn’t be cool if he could be the baddie who gets to survive? 😉
Eeeeek! He’s too beautiful to be a Bond baddie, judging by these pics! I think even Toby Stephens was made up to look scarred wasn’t he?
I know he’d be happy to play a villain, I’m not fussed about him being another Bond and I soooo want a complex hero who survives the end credits, so I voted #3. 🙂
He probably would be the prettiest Bond baddie ever, although Sophie Morceau turned out to be a baddie and she’s a looker 😉
I’d forgotten about her. Yes, she is a looker. My Firelight dvd arrived the other day, so hopefully I’ll get around to watching it soon.
He’d be a glorious Bond – he has the elegance, the feline grace and the ability to project aggression and even the hint of cruelty that Ian Fleming described (Bond has a scar on his cheek that slightly mars his looks and makes him more than just a handsome, dashing fellow). And he has the classic Bond looks, dark hair, blue-grey eyes, he can move decisively and aggressively, he can wear a tux etc. I simply would love him to play that character and see what he makes of him. Bond has an interesting background in the books; IIRC, his father was a Scot, his mother French Swiss and his parents died in an accident when he was a small child. He was then brought up by an aunt and, of course, in the British public school system, which can lead to interesting results. So, the character (or archetype?) has a slightly broken, complicated quality that I would want to be brought to life by a subtle actor like Richard, who, I’m certain, would show nuances we haven’t seen yet in any other Bond. 🙂 Apart from that, I am simply fed up by roles where he has to be bad and/or die at the end!! Let him be victorious and get the girl, for crying out loud! 😉
Nietzsche,
Very well put!
I don’t think there’s been anyone to play Bond yet who has been Richard’s equal as a really multi-faceted actor (as much as I adore Sean Connery even now and liked Brosnan and Dalton in the role and admire their overall work). I think Bond became rather cartoonish at one point, but does seem to be shifting back closer to the original character envisioned by Fleming (I have read a few of the books, but it has been a while).
I sometimes worry RA is going to end up in Sean Bean’s shoes–the man has been killed off in practically everything he’s ever done. 😦 I’d like to see a mixture, some heroic roles, some baddies, serious dramas, more light-hearted fare . . . I mean, he can do it all, that we know. He’s very, very good with the angst and brooding and humiliation, but some less heavy stuff would be very enjoyable, surely, for ALL of us?
I want to see him survive the credits, too, but I’d rather it wasn’t in the Bond genre. I read all of Flemings books, and despite his back story, Bond comes across as medieval-style warrior hero who happens to screw his way through a small horde of disposable females. I’d like a broader range of roles for RA, too.
Did Sean Bean get killed off in Sharpe’s? He survived as Vronsky, opposite Sophie Morceau in the best version of “Anna Karenina” I’ve ever seen. He also survived in VoD, before Geraldine met Harry.
Sean Bean survived as RICHARD Sharpe I laughed when the posh officers referred to him as Richard and the lower ranks called him Dick.
It’s a pity someone doesn’t pick up on some of the other Bernard Cornwell stories they are ‘ripping yarns’ but probably RA would not want to go back to TV series for a while, he needs to keep the film profile for longer.