Now this might have been bigger news at the time in the seventies, but it’s an interesting retrospective thought. Burt Reynolds as James Bond. I actually think that back in the day that could have worked…and actually if they were to do an old Bond movie, then I reckon he could still pull it off. From IMDB:
Late James Bond producer Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli offered Reynolds the chance to follow Sir Sean Connery as the slick sleuth, but the actor rejected the opportunity – an action he has lived to regret ever since. He says, “Sean Connery had said he wanted more money and left and (Cubby Broccoli) came to visit me and said, ‘We want you to play James Bond.’ “And I said, in my infinite wisdom, ‘An American can’t play James Bond. It just can’t be done.’ “Now, in the middle of the night, you hear me wake up in this cold sweat going, ‘Bond, James Bond.'”
I’ve gone on record as saying Bond can’t be American, and I still stick with that. There’s something that the British portrayal of him brings through on screen, whether it be the wit, sarcasm or style, it’s a tangible factor because he’s British, and indeed English.
However, I can definitely see that all the other qualities are there with Reynolds, and were there. It would have been an interesting turn to take if that early on in the franchise they had cast an American. Would that mean by now I was used to an American playing the role? Do you think Reynolds could have carried it off?
I can just see Bond chasing Blofield in his 1980 trans Am, that would be um amusing. I like the Dom Deluise mention, good job. Bond, Burt Bond.
okaaaay….
Rejects a Bond role, yet accepts a Boss Hog role? Seems our CannonBall Runner has gotten pretty senile over the years…or does he just not want to shave the ‘stash?
I think that it definitely would have worked, however there would have needed to be one crucial additional casting made in order to make sure it absolutely couldn’t fail.
Dom DeLouise as ‘Q’.
NOOOOOOOOO!!! Back then maybe, but now? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Reynold’s playing Bond today would be a joke. That would be a laughable performance. Sir Sean Connery was great, he is Bond for lucks sake! And Brosnan gave us a great Bond performance as well when he ran with it. We need another young hot face, and an actor who is not yet big in Hollywood, it has to be a struggling actor.
I agree, if the decision had been taken to use an American actor to portray Bond immediately after Sean Connery then by now we would all be used to it. The actual path taken has helped the character develop into the quintessentially English spy that Ian Fleming wrote about.
That said, it would have been very interesting to see what Burt Reynolds could have done with the part and how differently the films would have been if that direction had been taken. It’s a shame Reynolds had such a quiet time of it in the 90’s as, for me, has has made some great films. Pleased to see him making some good movies again now though.