James Bond is a secret service agent
in MI6 and Royal Navy Commander known for his suave and charisma. He is shown
to be very aware and fine-tuned to the surrounding environment, prolific in hand-to-hand
combat and gun control. He is also portrayed as an alcoholic with his most
famous dialogue “shaken, not stirred” when asking for martinis. The evolution of James Bond has been a
remarkable journey throughout the movie series.
Sean Connery
James Bond was first portrayed by Sir
Sean Connery in 1962 featured film Dr. No.
Sean Connery set the bar for portraying James Bond for future actors. He laid
the foundation for the traits of James Bond: ruthless, witty, sexy, classy,
rugged and up to the task. The acting also helped Sean Connery for being voted
as the Sexiest Man Alive by Peoples
magazine.
Roger Moore
After Sean Connery, Sir Roger Moore
was elected to play the British Spy. Roger Moore is the longest serving Bond
actor spanning a total of 12 years. Moore’s Bond was more polished and
sophisticated with a mocking wit and innuendos. Thus, far more light hearted
than Connery’s Bond. To make Bond tougher, Moore opted for .44 Magnum Smith
& Wesson instead of Walther PPK. The former was a hand cannon made famous
by the cowboy outlaw Clint Eastwood.
Timothy Dalton
After Moore’s retirement from Bond
franchise, Timothy Dalton took up the 007 mantle. He brought a more serious and
gritty approach to the character. The less fun “The living daylights” and “License
to kill” were critically acclaimed but were panned by the fans who were
accustomed to Moore’s funny acting.
Peirce Brosnan
Peirce Brosnan was next Bond and
played the character in “Golden eye”,
“Tomorrow never dies”, “The world is not enough” and “Die another Day”. Brosnan’s acting wasn’t
overtly sexual and dominant over women. He also brought back more action and
elegance to the Bond franchise. The character of James Bond changed with
passage of time, for example, Brosnans’ Bond did not smoke throughout his
films.
Daniel Craig
Last but not the least, the latest Bond
actor is Daniel Craig. His portrayal is more dangerous, flawed, emotionally
damaged and egotistical. Craig acted in “Casino
Royale”, “Quantam of Solace”, “Skyfall” and more recently in “Spectre’’. His first appearance in “Casino Royale” met with criticism as he
had blond hair and blue eyes, but by “Quantum
of Solace” he was favored highly. He is considered to be closest to the
original character’s image after Sean Connery. He was said to be a professional
killing machine; charming, cold blooded but loyal to MI6 with a taste of
luxury.
The quest for next James Bond
continues with few speculations heard and met with criticism. Craig’s damaged
and dangerous; and Connery’s elegant and efficient portrayal has set the bar up
pretty high for the next Bond actor. The evolution
of James Bond has been a bumpy ride. Let’s cross our fingers and welcome the next person who plays the Bond Character. However, the big
question is that whether he will continue Connery and Craig’s legacy or create
one of his own.
