Why Timothy Dalton Is Actually The Greatest James Bond

By Alex Antliff /

In 1985, Roger Moore€™s final James Bond film, A View To A Kill, was released to a critical drubbing, with a common criticism being that Moore, 57 at the time of the film€™s release, was far too old to realistically play the role of the world€™s greatest spy. Having initially wanted to retire from the role after For Your Eyes Only in 1981, Moore agreed and stepped down from the role, leading to a media frenzy about who would replace him. Candidates ranged from the likes of Sam Neill, who would later become known for his role in the Jurassic Park series, to Australian model Finlay Light, who would later become known for nothing at all, not even having a Wikipedia page to his name. Eventually, an Irish actor by the name of Pierce Brosnan was confirmed for the role, but was forced to back out after NBC, capitalising on the media attention the man was receiving, decided to revive the television series on which he was contractually obliged to star, Remington Steele. This turned out to a blessing in disguise, both for Brosnan (who would later play the role of Bond in four films, starting with Goldeneye) and producer Albert R. Broccoli, who approached an actor that had turned down the role on numerous occasions in the past, believing himself to be too young (having only been 24 when approached for the role following Sean Connery€™s departure) or having pre-existing commitments to other projects. This actor was Timothy Dalton, who was finally in a position to accept the role, paving the way for a brief but brilliant era in the Bond series. This article contains heavy spoilers for those who are not familiar with Dalton€™s Bond films. Click "next" to continue...