James Bond Gets Sticky with Sticker Book….Day 245 of Bond 365

Last night, I attended the Indie Music Collaborative event in Glendale, California. It’s an event that brought musicians and spoken word speakers from the Los Angeles area (and beyond) together to showcase one of their current or past projects. In many cases, the individuals were performing to their peers in hopes of garnering their Grammy vote in the coming months. Others were seeking collaboration opportunities.

I was in awe of the creative talent in the room and the collaborative spirit. The mood and goodwill in the small indie theatre made me think of the East Coast theatre groups that would get together in barns or small quaint theatre houses to performed some contemporary play. The musical genres varied from jazz to classical to rock and show tunes. Some of the musicians were “showy” while others stuck to the basics, but all the performers did well, even the technology did not. In a couple of cases, singers just went ahead and sang without any music. Kudos to them! And it showed just how good they were.

The event was slated to run from 7 to 11 PM, but very quickly, the program schedule was derailed by performances that ran way over their allotted 4 minutes. While I enjoyed the event and met some real nice folks, I was pretty tired by the time the event ended, which was around 12:40 AM. I still had about an hour’s drive home, so as a result, today I have been running on about four hours of sleep.

Now to Bond 365 and sadly, I did not have a historical event for today, so I thought I would spotlight a new product that was announced on Monday. The Official James Bond 007 website posted DK’s Ultimate Sticker Collection featuring James Bond 007. Gracing the cover is Daniel Craig and inside aficionados will likely be tempted by the more than 1,000 Bond stickers. The book features all our favourite subjects: cars, villains and their lairs, gadgets, and weapons featured in the films of past and present. Amazon describes that young fans can “relive James Bond’s spectacular battles and sensational escapes” or create new adventures via the stickers.

Amazon UK is taking pre-orders for the book that will release on November 2, just in time for the release of Spectre a few days later in the US. DK Publishers is also taking pre-orders, which is helpful since Amazon US doesn’t seem to be taking pre-orders.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for the sticker book. I think it could be a fun curio to have in my collection of Bond books.

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Advertisements al a James Bond….Day 240 of Bond 365

Back in 1978, the world witnessed the passing of Robert Shaw. Since I featured Shaw earlier this month, I figured I could direct you to that day’s entry here and then go in a bit of a different direction with Bond 365 today.

Trying to beat the muggy heat of Southern California this evening and ignore the poolside chatter of kids playing “Marco Polo” for some reason my mind drifted to the concept of advertisements. In particular, I was curious about advertisements that featured James Bond.

Sean Connery

James Bond has been known for many things, including his choice of alcohol. In this case, it was Connery and Jim Beam.

George Lazenby

Here’s a Marlboro advertisement, which directly lifted scenes from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

And, let’s not forget the prominent product placement of Playboy as James Bond waited for his documents to finish being mimeographed.

Roger Moore

I found a couple of interesting advertisements featuring Moore. The Compomotive one provided a Bond movie plug.

Timothy Dalton

It was difficult to find any advertisements featuring Dalton as Bond. I finally found Lark cigarettes and an ad I’m guessing that ran in Asia.

Pierce Brosnan

The Omega watch ads were slick. I found this nice one of Brosnan, however finding ads of him, Dalton and Lazenby was challenging. I figured Dalton and Lazenby was on account of playing Bond the least of the group of actors, but it could be more about what was available/not available on the internet, or perhaps it was contractually based. 

Daniel Craig

The current face of James Bond, Daniel Craig also advertised Omega watches. Fascinating to see the different mood and tone of Brosnan’s (relaxed) vs. Craig’s (vigilant).

Although a silhouette, the likeness is Craig for Coca Cola Zero – he is cognizant of his calorie intake.

I love this advertisement for British tourism – all the symbols that consumers would recognize as uniquely Britain....I want to live like Bond - well, maybe more like, can I have the car? 

You

Yes, you! You know you want to smell like 007, hopefully just after a shower but not after a long intro scene leading up to the opening credits!

And lastly, an advertisement that didn’t need James Bond or anyone for that matter…

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Casino Royale’s Eva Green…..Day 187 of Bond 365

Eva Green

Born this day in 1980

Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace (video game)

Eva Gaelle Green was born in Paris to a Swedish/French father and an Algerian mother. Her mother, Marlene Jobert, had been an actor before turning to writing books for children. At 17, Green shifted from a French school to an English school in Kent, UK, learning the English language. She studied drama at the Saint Paul Drama School, then a short drama program at Weber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. And, she went to Tisch School of Arts at New York University and studied directing before returning to Paris.

In 2003, Green starred in the Bernardo Bertolucci film, The Dreamers, which garnered several award nominations. It was her first filmic role. She worked with Ridley Scott, Liam Neeson and Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and paired back up with Daniel Craig in The Golden Compass (2007) as Serafina Pekkala.

Most of her body of acting has been on film, however she has worked on two television series: as Morgan in Camelot and as Vanessa Ives in Penny Dreadful. In the latter, Green was cast with another Bond alum, Timothy Dalton.

Green only has 18 acting credits so far; it seems to bare witness that she has been selective in the roles that she accepts. It will be interesting to see how her career develops over time.

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Gun and a Radio...Day 186 of Bond 365

It has been a hectic weekend and after banging out two coverage articles on Anime Expo earlier this evening, I'm just about done for the evening. Unfortunately I don't have an event from Bond history for today's Bond 365. Instead, I'm putting up a fun scene from Skyfall, which I quite like for the banter between Q and James Bond. A good way to end the weekend - I hope you agree! 

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Editor, Actor, and Cinematographer Celebrate Their Birthdays…Day 144 of Bond 365

Jim Clark at work

Jim Clark

Born this day in 1931

Editor for The World Is Not Enough

Englishman Jim Clark has done a bit of everything in front of and behind the camera. He’s been an actor, writer, editor, director, producer, and sound. He got his start at Ealing Studios. He worked as an Assistant Sound Editor for The Cruel Sea (1953) and the following year, was the Second Assistant Editor on The Love Lottery (1954), a position that he stayed in for much of his 50+ year career.

Clark received an Academy Award and a BAFTA for editing The Killing Fields (1984) and a BAFTA for The Mission (1986). And in 2005, Clark was honored with the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award. In 2011, he wrote his autobiography, Dream Repairman: Adventures in Film Editing.

Lonsdale as Sir Hugo Drax

Michael Lonsdale

Born this day in 1931

Hugo Drax in Moonraker

Parisian Michael Lonsdale has had a long and successful career as an actor. With a French mother and an English father, they moved from Paris to Guernsey then London and eventually Casablanca. After the war, he returned to Paris where he studied painting before taking an interest in acting. He started with stage acting and then in 1956, he moved to the big screen with It Happened in Aden in which he was cast as Sinclair.

Most of his acting credits are in French film and television, but he has done some English projects. For example, as Lebel in The Day of the Jackel (1973); as the Abbot in The Name of the Rose (1986) in which he starred opposite Bond alum Sean Connery; as Dupont D’Ivry in The Remains of the Day (1993); as Jean-Pierre in Ronin (1998) opposite Bond alums Sean Bean and Jonathan Pryce; and as Papa in Munich (2005) opposite yet another couple of Bond alums, Daniel Craig and Mathieu Amalric. In all, Lonsdale has over 230 acting credits! 

Bond Trivia: Because Lonsdale is bilingual, for the French version of Moonraker, he dubbed himself.

Deakins on set

Roger Deakins

Born this day in 1949

Camera Operator: “A” Camera for Skyfall

Director of Photography on Skyfall

Roger Deakins is an accomplished English cinematographer who has worked a who’s who of directors: Michael Apted, Roger Spottiswoode, David Mamet, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, M. Night Shyamalan, and Angelina Jolie. He has worked with the Coen brothers for the past 25 years, Sam Mendes for three films, and currently with Denis Villeneuve on the new Blade Runner project.

Deakins’ approach of utilizing limited lighting brings out the beauty of his scenes and actors in all of his films. His cinematic eye has led to several accolades over the years. Below are just a few examples:

No Country for Old Men (2007)

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

True Grit (2010)

Skyfall (2012)

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Five for Five: Squire, Rhys-Davies, Terry, Dubin, and Adele….Day 125 of Bond 365

If you celebrate, I wish you a wonderful Cinco de Mayo! Today, it just so happens I have five extraordinary individuals featuring on Day 125 of Bond 365….so many fives!

Anthony Squire

Born this day in 1914

Second Unit Director for Casino Royale (1967), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Stock Car Sequence Director in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Son of a poet, Jack Francis Anthony Squire was born in London just as the world was perched for the First World War of the modern era. There was little that I could find on Squire than he was a World War II pilot and worked in the RAF film unit, gaining experience that he would utilize for his first time as a second unit director. Having piloting and filming experience, he was a natural choice for filming the flying sequences in Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952).

Squire did sit in the director’s seat for a little over a dozen films, however he stated, “I tended to get stuck with the second-unit label, which I’ve never been able to shake. I’ve done a few films on my own, but nothing terrific” (IMDB). Looking over his directorial credits, nothing stood out that I recognized. His last directing credit was in 1985, which may have been when he retired. He passed away in 2000 at the age of 86.

John Rhys-Davies

Born this day in 1944

General Puskin in The Living Daylights

I smile every time I see John Rhys-Davies. I think it is because he has inhabited a number of roles that were part of the fun film experience of my youth, specifically with the Indiana Jones films in which he played Sallah and more recently, as Gimli in the unforgettable Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Born in Wales and raised in Wales, England and Africa, Rhys-Davies graduated from the University of East Anglia and attended RADA. His early travels created an interest in classic literature, acting  and writing. He made his first television appearance as Gareth in the television series 1964 when he was 20. Fifty years and 235 acting credits later, I am excited that he will be in a new television series, Lantern City, as Desmond Wilhorn which will also be released in comic book form from BOOM! Studio in a couple of weeks. Along the way, he has picked up several nominations and awards (many for Lord of the Rings).

Bond trivia: Rhys-Davies is the only actor to have played in three hugely successful franchises: James Bond, Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones.

John Terry

Born this day in 1950

Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights

John Terry has an unusual path to acting. A native of Florida, he was building log cabins in North Carolina when he discovered acting. He performed in local theatre productions and then moved to Alaska where he started a business.

When Terry turned 30, he moved to New York where he pursued acting full-time. He was making one-episode appearances in a variety of television series and supporting roles in films. In 1987, he landed the role of Lt. Lockhart in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, the same year that he was cast as Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights.

As with other supporting actors, Terry returned to television and continued in film. In 1994, he was Dr. David ‘Div’ Cvetic’ in the hit hospital drama ER. And in 2002-2003, he was Bob Warner for 12 episodes for the “real time” crime drama 24. More recently, he had recurring roles on Trauma, Lost, Brothers & Sisters, and Charlie’s Angels.

Gary Dubin

Born this day in 1959

Boy in Diamonds Are Forever

He is the little boy that could. Gary Dubin was born in Edinburgh, Scotland (or according to Wiki, in Los Angeles) and already 14 acting credits under his belt by the time he was cast as an uncredited “Boy” in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. He acted in film, television and lent his voice for several video games and cartoons. He even has a singing credit for his voice role on The AristoCats (1970) performing “Scales and Arpeggios”. His most recent work was in 2013 on RockBarnes: The Emperor in You.

Adele

Born this day in 1988

Singer for Skyfall Theme Song

Adele has had an amazing musical career. She has won many awards and has been in the Guinness Book of World Records for her numerous achievements. In 2013, she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Skyfall”. I am dumbfounded that it was the first time that a James Bond song won and that only five Bond songs have been nominated of all the fantastic songs that have come from the films.

I am pleased that she actually co-wrote the song, along with producer Paul Epworth, which they developed from having read the script. The music, her voice, and the video capture the haunting dark mood of the film. The process of first draft to recording with a full orchestra was 18 months, being reviewed by Sam Mendes, Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig – all were apparently moved by Adele’s song.

I think the franchise made the right choice with Adele who captures an underlining melancholy sadness that is reflected in the film. Let’s have a look at the official video:

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Empire First Look at Spectre…Day 117 of Bond 365

Since I haven’t any Bond in history today, I’m turning to the April issue Empire, which has Daniel Craig on the cover. It is touted as the magazine’s first look at the new movie, Spectre.

The 12-page was written in January when shooting was just beginning at Pinewood Studios and in Austria. Chris Hewitt, along with additional reporting Phil de Semlyen, discuss watching Craig on set as he fights bad guys.

The spread has some side articles that include a spotlight on both Lea Seydoux (Madeleine Swann) and Monica Bellucci (Lucia Sciarra). In addition, there’s a few info graphics in which we can can meet the Spectre team of past Bond films, a dissection of the ultimate henchman, and a flowchart in which you can determine which Bond you are (I got David Niven). I did find it interesting that Bob Holness, from the 1956 South African radio version of Moonraker, was a Bond option. Even James Bond the ornithologist is an option!  

Within the article, we get to hear from David Bautista (Drax of Guardians of the Galaxy), who has been a long time Bond fan. He reveals the two questions he asked Sam Mendes about Mr. Hinx, the role Bautista took for this film.

The writers include a brief summary about Kevin McClory and the disposition of SPECTRE and why we are now seeing it resurface after such a very long time. It remains to be seen if the Quantum organization that Mr. White represented will fold nicely within the Spectre group or not.

Lastly, there is a fluff sidepiece on “Spying by Numbers” that recaps the double-o agents that have been referred to in Bond films prior to Spectre. And of course, there are several large photos throughout the article. 

Is it worth ten-dollar price tag because it is an import to the US? I would say yes, especially if you like following Bond alums: a few pages further in is a juicy interview with Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre from Casino Royale) as he discusses his NBC television series, Hannibal.

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Happy Birthday Timothy Dalton! ….Day 80 of Bond 365

It’s Saturday and it’s Timothy Dalton’s birthday today! He was the fourth actor to portray James Bond, if you don’t count the 1967 comedic version of Casino Royale. What do you think of Dalton as James Bond? 

Dalton in Jane Eyre

Timothy Dalton

Born this day in 1944 or 1946

James Bond in The Living Daylights and License to Kill

Timothy Dalton is under appreciated as James Bond. There, I put it out on the table. I think however that the timing was against Dalton in three ways when he put on the tuxedo. 

First, when Dalton was initially approached to play Bond was when Eon Productions was looking for a replacement for Sean Connery for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Dalton had been working in theatre and films, starring opposite Malcolm McDowell, Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, Marcello Mastroianni, and Virna Lisi. Eon Productions approached Dalton and he tested for the role, but he felt he was too young (he would have been around 25 at the time) so he turned down the role. A 25-year-old Bond does seem young; George Lazenby who did play Bond in OHMSS was just around 30 at the time. However, I think that his serious portrayal would have fit very well with the OHMSS storyline.

Secondly, when Dalton did come on board as Bond, it was right after Roger Moore’s more lighthearted interpretation of the British secret agent. While I think we can all agree that sometimes things went just a little too light (for example, sound effect noises that accompanied stunts), asking audiences to move from fun to deep, dark serious was too much to ask of Bond audiences at that time. Following up after Connery rather than Moore would have been better for Dalton. Obviously audiences like serious Bond – Craig’s era – which I think was more palpable as a follow up to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond.

Third, the long wait between License to Kill and Goldeneye (6 years) was unfortunate especially since there has been criticism regarding the strength of the Bond stories that Dalton starred in. If filming could have started sooner so that Dalton would have portrayed Bond for the third of three films he signed up for, I think Goldeneye would have provided audiences the opportunity to nod and agree that Dalton was made for the tuxedo. It was sad that Dalton made the decision to walk away, but you have to respect him for deciding to move on. And, it’s not like Dalton could not find work. He has been one very prolific and successful actor over the years!

I am glad that he got his shot at James Bond, even if timing wasn’t on his side. We got to see another side to Bond and Dalton did pave the way for Brosnan, who blended into a middle-of-the-road Bond (which really would have eased audiences in a post Moore era), and later Craig, who brought serious Bond back in a huge way.

Timothy Dalton and Bond Girl alum Eva Green in Penny Dreadful

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

Richard Marner and Fleming Finished First Novel….Day 77 of Bond 365

I apologize in advance, but this is going to be a quick blog this evening. I worked a modified schedule today and did not get home until almost 10 PM. So without further adieu…

First Edition

Today in 1952, Ian Fleming finished writing his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Published in 1953, readers were introduced to James Bond, Le Chiffre, Vesper Lynd, Felix Leiter, and Rene Mathis. It was published in April 1953 by Jonathan Cape (UK) and has been dramatized in the television series Climax! in 1954 with Barry Nelson, a 1967 film version starring David Niven and again in 2006 with Daniel Craig in his debut as Bond. I enjoyed the novel quite a bit and even found the explanation of baccarat fascinating. I’m going to limit my comments since I’ll be writing more about the novel April 13.

Richard Marner

Richard Marner

Passed away this day in 2004

Russian Spacecraft Communicator in You Only Live Twice

Russian born Alexander Molchaoff-Sach and his family moved when he was quite young and settled in London. After serving in the RAF where he was invalided out of the service, he changed his name to Richard Marner and started acting on stage and in film/television. He was often cast as military personnel in spy and war films and television series.

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

My oh Mollie Peters and Don Wolz…..Day 74 of Bond 365

Happy Sunday and welcome to Bond 365 where each day I post about Bond related events, typically marking birthdays or passings, of Bond alums. Today, I’ve got two individuals from the early days of Bond films, special effects artist Don Wolz, and model Mollie Peters, who had a brief acting career. In addition, I’ve added some Bond news links at the end, just in case you haven’t been keeping up with Bond this past week.

From the set of Diamonds Are Forever

Don Wolz

Born this day in 1915

Special Effects for Diamonds Are Forever

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Don Wolz worked on less than a dozen films from 1958 through 1977. In all of the films, his work on special effects went uncredited, so perhaps there were other projects he worked on that have not been recorded.

Terence Young, Mollie Peters and Sean Connery

Mollie Peters

Born this day in 1942

Patricia Fearing in Thunderball

Mollie Peters was an English blonde bombshell who was a model and had a fleeting acting career, apparently due to a falling out with her agent. Probably her most memorable role was as Patricia Fearing, a nurse/masseuse at the Shrubland Health Club in Thunderball. She was discovered by Terence Young and has the distinction of being the first Bond Girl to remove her clothing onscreen. She was featured in the November 1965 issue of Playboy as part of “James Bond’s Girls,” a pictorial essay by Richard Maibaum.

And, now some Bond news:

03/15 – The Telegraph has a slide show of photographs from the various Spectre sets.

03/15 – Wales misses opportunity to host James Bond in iconic Welsh building, and the assembly members were apparently not consulted according to BBC News.

03/15 – Apparently, a country’s reputation costs in the neighborhood of $20M. Mexico is offering Eon Productions up to that amount to have Mexico portrayed in a positive light in the upcoming Spectre. They have asked that Mexico’s modern cityscape be featured in the shots, that the villain is not Mexican, and that a Mexican actress be cast as a Bond Girl….

Beauty Stephanie Sigman has been added to Spectre cast

03/10 - ….Mexican actress Stephanie Sigman was added to the Spectre cast as a Bond Girl according to Variety. She is the first Mexican Bond Girl in the film franchise’s history. She may be familiar to you: she has appeared in “The Bridge” and “Narcos.”

Daniel Craig, wild for Comic Relief

03/13 – Daniel Craig and other Bond cast and alums have stepped up to support Comic Relief, a seven-hour show. According to the MI6 article, if you are in the UK, you’ll have access to it on BBC iPlayer, found just a little under two hours into the programming.

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.

A Woman’s Bond: Craig. Daniel Craig….Day 61 of Bond 365

Daniel Craig's James Bond piqued women's interest

Daniel Craig

Born this day in 1968

James Bond in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre

“Pass the smelling salts: Women around the world rejoiced Daniel had been chosen as Bond when this 2006 photo emerged,” a Daily Mail article caption said. Having sat through a number of James Bond presentations at the annual conference I attend each year, one thing I can say is that there is more feminine interest in James Bond with the blue-eyed Daniel Craig wearing the tux and Speedo than any of the other men of the past films. Where the Bond films have been a more gentlemanly pursuit, from what I have witnessed, times are changing and more women have taken to the recent films, starting with Casino Royale in 2006. How did Craig arrive at this point? Was there a Craig before Bond?

According to IMDB, Craig’s first role was Sgt. Botha in the 1992 movie The Power of One. He must have played a pretty small part because he was not listed with the main group of actors, but rather on the full list of cast and crew. From that role, he moved to the small screen and did a lot of television movies and series, with a big screen movie thrown in every so often. In 1996, he played Geordie Peacock in Our Friends in the North (1996) for eight episodes, which put him higher in the list than Malcolm McDowell who was in five episodes.

Craig in the Bond uniform

In 1997, he had his first break out role as John MacHale, one-third of a love triangle in Obsession. He was front and center on the cover of the DVD and had his name above the title. The following year in Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon, he took second billing to Sir Derek Jacobi and was Jacobi’s love interest in this biography about Bacon. Of note, Craig and the new Q Ben Whishaw starred together in The Trench (1999) about World War I (they paired up again in the 2004 for Enduring Love). As I looked at each film, quite a few were love/obsession oriented, Craig usually playing a younger love interest to an older woman (or man).

Although not a critical hit but entertaining, I do think that Craig received quite a bit of notice in Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) when he played fellow competitor adventurer, Alex West. He got to play some action sequences and show off his physique during a shower scene. This was probably a turning point in his career.

He went on to have a role in Road to Perdition (2002), Layer Cake (2004), The Jacket (2005), Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), the edgy animated Renaissance (2006), and Infamous (2006), a story about Truman Capote. His third outing in 2006 was of course Casino Royale, where Craig definitely became a bona fide international star as the most recognized British secret agent in the world.

Craig as the English version of Mikael Blomkvist

Since Casino Royale, Craig has become entrenched in the Bond world. He has completed two more Bond films – Quantum of Solace (2008) and Skyfall (2012) – as well as lending his voice and likeness to the video game market. He completed the Quantum of Solace video game in 2008, James Bond 007: Blood Stone (2010), and GoldenEye 007 (2010). However, he only approved his likeness for the train wreck known as 007 Legends (2012).

Naturally, there have been roles outside of Bond. Craig was particularly busy in 2011. He became Jake Lonergan in Cowboys & Aliens, the graphic novel turned into a film, lent his voice in Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin, starred in the creepy thriller Dream House with his wife Rachel Weisz, and as journalist Mikael Blomkvist in the English version of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I do feel that Swedish version starring Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace is a superior interpretation of Larsson’s book, however I thought Craig put in a strong performance. I think part of the weakness of the English version was its deviation from the book, which I cannot fault Craig for – that said, I do actually hope the rumored The Girl Who Played with Fire will come to fruition for Craig in the next couple of years.

Admittedly, Craig does seem to be slowing down on his projects and those that he is working on are Bond related (confirmed anyway). It will be interesting to see what he does after he hangs up his tux, but that may be at least another couple of years out since he is listed for a yet to be named Bond 25.

 

Bond....Gun....Car

© Copyright. Michele Brittany. 2011 - 2015. All rights reserved. All text, graphics, and photos are protected by US and International Copyright Laws, and may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.