James Bond has a golden history.
Pierce Brosnan and Judi Dench have given their thoughts on the franchise, including the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios adaptation and who should get the shaken-and-not-stirred Martini. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the former 007, Brosnan, weighed in on the hotly debated casting battle between British actors for the new Bond movies. Brosnan backed his favorite candidate and stated:
“Oh, I’m just an audience member now. I’m just the man in the street who is eager to see who is going to play this epic role of cinematic history. All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire. Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong. They all have a voice, a physique, and a presence on film. They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men.”
Dench is known for portraying James Bond’s MI5 boss M in eight Bond movies, which began with GoldenEye (1995) and ended with Skyfall (2012), as well as a brief cameo in Spectre (2015). In an exclusive excerpt from the iconic actress’s memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?, Variety has shared some snippets where Dench reflects on her career in the Bond franchise. She also reveals her favorite Bond, and how the character’s evolution reflects the times:
“I’ll always have a soft spot for Sean [Connery] because he was the original, but what’s lovely is that both Pierce and Daniel really made it their own. They each have a great sense of humor and can be self-deprecating, which I find very attractive in life, and which I think is an essential quality for Bond.
What I like is the way the character molds around the actor – so much so that I can’t then imagine anybody else playing the part. When I first played M, Bond was suave and elegant. He’d order his martinis and pass through fights almost effortlessly, emerging with hardly a scratch on his face or a mark on his Savile Row suit. Then gradually – over the course of the eight films I did – Bond became dirtier, more realistic, less of a fantasy figure, I suppose. I don’t think the scripts are as witty as they once were, which is perhaps a shame, but then the character moves on – Bond reflects the times.”
More to come…