Acting can only get you so far when it comes to creating a James Bond. The James Bond character needs to be the correct look, accent, and, most importantly, a chick magnet. The character of James Bond as envisioned by its creator Ian Fleming is supposed to be a decorated commander in the Royal Navy reserve serving as a special agent in the British Secret service division known as MI6.
James Bond’s character is enriched with exquisite state-of-the-art cars, fancy weaponry, guns and gadgets that are the latest in the military line, and always accompanied by a woman of transcendent beauty. So this begs the question, what does it take to pull off a James Bond?
Since the creation of the character of James bond in 1953, the role has been played by a dozen of actors. These James Bond actors (not in any particular order) included Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, and Daniel Craig. All these actors depicted a character of immense skills and greatness. Here are some of the things it takes to be a James Bond.
He Looks the Part
In many of the James Bond movies created, the actors were of an average build. However, none of the characters was chubby. The role calls for an individual who is built or at least on the slim slide. The Bond character requires one to perform several stunts and really look realistic while performing them.
Credit: Casino Royale
The Bond character, in essence, has to appear as if he has the ability to accomplish what he has set out to do. The first thing that needs to be considered is aesthetics. In addition, he had to be able to perform well, both in terms of his ability and his performance. It wouldn’t have looked real if a chubby or unfit guy was required to fit into a slim suit, jump down from a building, jump over a fence and jump over scaffolding.
Bond is Full of Vengeance
Almost all James Bond movies were driven by vengeance in their characters with the long-standing feud between Bond and his arch-nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The vengeance becomes even more pronounced when Blofeld shot and killed Tracy Bond, James Bond’s wife in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Daniel Craig as James Bond single-handedly went after Mr. White, Patrice, and Carlos for the murder of Vesper Lynd, fellow colleagues Ronson and Rene Mathis. Such acts of vengeance thicken the plot of the film and keep portraying the Bond character as arrogant and self-sufficient.
Ladies’ Man
Credit: Thunderball
As far as James Bond is concerned, maintaining a relationship seems to be the one thing he is not capable of. And the closest he got to settling down often results in the girl being killed. The movies made him into someone who is attractive and has lots of sex appeal. The physique of a well-built man was an added advantage, and if you didn’t know, all Bond characters were tall. So the combination of a tall buff man, such as Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, was the ultimate chic magnet.
Bond Must Be Multilingual
With James Bond appearing in over 25 movies over the span of five decades, it is natural to wonder how many languages he has spoken over the years. There is a possibility that he had knowledge of certain languages and fluency in others and was able to get by or comprehend them in some.
Bond speaks English, French and German fluently. He has also spoken Italian, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Spanish, Arabic, and even Japanese.
He’s a Skilled Marksman…
James Bond is one of the most skilled and accurate marksmen in the world, even when it comes to sharpshooting and knife throwing. As part of his expertise, Bond is also skilled in the use of assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, shotguns, you name it; he knows them all.
Whether he is far away or close to his opponent, James Bond is able to accurately shoot any opponent, no matter where they may be. This is without wasting a shot or causing a lethal hit on them. Almost never does he miss a shot, and this is one of the reasons why he is considered one of the world’s top assassins.
…And an Excellent Driver
Credit: Skyfall
Bond has unrivaled expertise when it comes to cars, motorbikes, boats, and airplanes. He is the best driver the world has ever seen, navigating and always making it in the toughest of spots. His skills are not only tested on cars but also on water and in midair as a pilot and skydiver. Surprisingly, his skills also extend to flying a space shuttle, as he did in the film Moonraker.
With his bike, Bond has accomplished feats such as climbing stairs and jumping through windows and off cliffs without sustaining any injuries, like in Goldeneye. He has also been able to ride a bike while handcuffed in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Even after reading all this, do you want to know how to become James Bond? There is no doubt that these aren’t all simple – but if they were, then Bond wouldn’t be Bond.
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