It sounds as though Cary Grant and Peter O’Toole were the desired faces of James Bond before Sean Connery, but it was Dana Broccoli, the wife of the 007 producer, that happened to see this picture of Sean Connery and decided that this was the face that was needed for the franchise. It does make sense in a way given that the character was supposed to be the tall, dark and handsome type, but thinking that such a thing could be decided from a picture is only one of the steps used when finding out if it could be true. Of course, everything kind of begins with that first step, and it was fortuitous that Dana saw this photo since Connery turned out to be one of the best Bond actors of all time according to many fans. At one time Connery was actually in very good shape and hadn’t started going bald yet, and as a result, he became one of the most well-known characters in the world, not just in pop culture. To think that someone else might have been picked is difficult to do at this point since Connery is the guy that started it all off, and as of now there are still a lot of people wondering just who is going to continue the legacy.
The fact that this is one of the pressing pop culture questions of the day says a lot about how important this icon came to be and how Connery, who came to hate the character eventually, ended up being one of the most popular men in cinematic history. It sounds weird to say that he disliked the role, but after a while, he wanted out in order to do other things, which of course wasn’t what everyone else wanted. But one has to wonder what it is that people are looking for when they look at potential celebrities and think about what might happen if they cast this person or that person. It could be the look, the perceived attitude, or it could just be a feeling that this person might actually be great one day. Some people are said to have an eye for spotting talent, but in a lot of situations, no matter how proven their skill might be, it feels that a lot of people get lucky sometimes. There have been plenty of actors that have looked like they could perform wonders and the unfortunate truth is that they fizzled when they were needed. But the thing about show business is that there are a lot of short memories and a great number of people that are always ready and willing to take the place of those that might not work out.
One has to think of how many people audition for certain roles and how many are always up and ready to go when called, if called, for any possible role they can take. It almost feels as though the same belief that applies to lawyers applies to actors as well. To think that that there are more struggling actors and acting students in the world than there are actors, as it’s been said that there are more law students in the world than lawyers, doesn’t feel like an exaggeration since once someone falls there’s always at least a hundred people or more to fill their spot, but of course, the trick is getting recognized and becoming known first so that someone will actually take note and think that that a person might be worth their time. When thinking that even the greatest actors were rookies at one time it’s important to remember that they were nobodies as well, and were those that were just trying to get their foot in the door and have someone pay attention to them. Essentially that means that acting is for anyone that has the ambition and enough skill to work with it make it worthwhile for anyone to train them, teach them, and show them the ropes. Sean Connery didn’t just burst onto the scene in a suit and tie and become the most iconic spy ever by simply looking good. He had to have some skill to go with his appearance and he had to play ball occasionally with those in charge to keep his reputation.
But that’s the point, Hollywood is a system that judges on looks but makes the final decision based on talent, which sounds great but isn’t always as perfect as some might think. There have been plenty of people that have been hand-selected and then turned out to be a bust. But the general idea is that a lot of folks judge talent by finding those that have the right look first, and simply go from there. It might sound like a less than ideal way to do things but it does happen.
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