Ian Fleming’s secret agent with a license to kill, James Bond has been brought to life by seven actors. It began with Sean Connery in 1962 and most recently, Daniel Craig finished his stint as Agent 007.
Craig’s performance as the character is critically acclaimed, and some even call his portrayal the best ever. However, it might surprise one that Craig was initially hesitant to take on the role. While he might have been a bit reluctant to don that iconic tuxedo, the producers knew exactly what the movie needed and managed to have him on board.
Daniel Craig Told The Producers Why He Was Not The Best Fit For James Bond
The on-screen adaptation of James Bond began in 1962 with Sean Connery. David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan also took the role before Craig stepped in.
The last movie featuring Brosnan was Die Another Day (2002) and it was a huge blockbuster. Thus, the producers knew they had to sign the perfect actor for a reboot to get the momentum going. Daniel Craig emerged as a frontrunner for the role.
However, the interest was not mutual at the time. Instead, the actor did not think that the producers were even serious about the hiring. Craig even feared that he could not match Connery or Brosnan, per GQ.
“I was like, ‘This is what they do. They get people in. They’re just fooling around.’” “Plus, Pierce was not leaving Bond, right?” “I remember saying to them early on, ‘I can’t do a Sean Connery impression. I can’t be Pierce. I can’t do the kind of ‘Oh, well.…’”
In the end, however, things went well and the parties agreed to a contract, and we all are glad they did. Given his great portrayal, anyone who now becomes Bond will have a huge task of coming out of Craig’s shadow.
Henry Cavill and Christian Bale Were Considered For James Bond Alongside Daniel Craig
A number of other talented actors were considered for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale before Daniel Craig was finalized. This includes Christian Bale who was, at the time, playing Batman in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
In the book Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman, Bale revealed the details of the discussions about playing Bond. However, he declined the offer because he found the franchise “Very British” and that the character represented “every despicable stereotype about England and British actors”. Further, he had “already played a serial killer” in American Psycho.
Henry Cavill was also considered for the role. Speaking to Express UK, the director Martin Campbell revealed that Cavill was actually a very good choice for the role but was a little young for Bond.
“If Daniel didn’t exist Henry would have made an excellent Bond. He looked terrific, he was in great physical shape… very handsome, very chiseled. He just looked a little young at that time back then.”
The Superman star was just 22 when the actor for Bond was being finalized. About two decades later, he still is in a great physical shape to play the character and can surely be the perfect choice for the role.
