What Might Have Been: DDL Almost Played Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction

Dalton wasn't bad as Bond, his movies just weren't that good.

Moore was decent as Bond in his first three (even if the movies, aside from The Spy Who Loved Me, were pretty bad) and then became a caricature.

Brosnan was decent. There will always be Bond fans who prefer the tough, gritty Bond of Connery versus the Bond fans who grew up with the arch, irreverent Moore. I think he tried to square Connery and Moore. That and with CGI coming into prominence during his time, the Bond plots became convoluted and CGI-driven.

Lazenby was a horrible actor (he wasn't an actor), but he's the best physical Bond of all, even more so than Connery or Craig. And On Her Majesties Secret Service itself is one of the best.

Connery and Craig stand way above the rest though.

 

I grew up with Pierce Brosnan as my James Bond, a little too young to have seen Timothy Dalton's movies when they came out. My father loved all things Bond, though, so I watched every movie multiple times growing up. I don't care much for Dalton because his Bond was the least fun. I don't like George Lazenby because his Bond wasn't smooth or dapper or clever. I don't like Roger Moore as much as Brosnan because Moore seemed too manicured. But Sean Connery was Bond. He was the perfect Bond, with the Dalton's hardened edge, Brosnan's acting skill, Lazenby's physical presence and Moore's grace and prestige. He, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell had great chemistry, too.

Daniel Craig is playing a completely different character in many ways. His Bond has been written to be weaker, less certain. That largely comes from the reboot nature of the latest movies. If you told me in 1997 there would be two Bond movies without Moneypenny or Agent Q, I'm not sure I would have processed that. Craig is very good, but the tenor of the role has changed dramatically.

Anyway, the worst Bond was Barry Nelson.

 

John Randolph, better known as Clark W. Griswold's dad on "Christmas Vacation."

 

Steve McQueen laughs at the general premise of turning down hit movies.

 

Nicolas Cage laughs at the general premise of turning down anything.

 

Nice

 

What about David Niven?



(I only posted the pic because of the girl, I think that was Moneypenny. The 60s Casino Royale is one of the biggest messes of all-time, but damn if it doesn't have some hotness in it.)

 

McQueen apparently was the studio's preferred choice for Michael in The Godfather. They also wanted someone big like Beatty or Nicholson vs. Pacino.

McQueen was supposed to get the Sheen part in Apocalypse Now, too.

Other actors considered for Vito Corleone included Anthony Quinn, George C. Scott, Ernest Borgnine and even Andy Griffith, who allegedly nailed his screen test. Burt Lancaster was eager for the role but wasn't considered. Frank Sinatra offered his services but it wasn't one they couldn't refuse.

Have heard that Dirty Harry was going to be portrayed at various points by John Wayne, Sinatra or Elvis Presley.

James Coburn wanted too much money, I think I've read, for The Man With No Name role in A Fistful of Dollars, which made Eastwood a star and gave him the Spaghetti Western franchise.

 

I don't know if I buy Sinatra wanting in on The Godfather. I have heard that Sinatra hated Puzo and even threatened him once because of the way Johnny Fontaine is written. It's clear that Fontaine is Sinatra.

I have heard the John Wayne/Dirty Harry connection. I'm not sure why he turned it down, but after Dirty Harry's success, the Duke made McQ.