(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Inevitably, Tom Hanks is one of those stars who can guarantee a brilliant performance and a decent box office. Since his breakthrough in the 1980s, he has found himself highly sought after and has consistently lent his talents to some of cinema’s greatest directors.
However, although Hanks has appeared in countless iconic films over the years, he has never been able to take on all the roles he could have played. Hanks isn’t necessarily known for his franchise work, but he has previously expressed his admiration for the legendary James Bond films.
“Who doesn’t love James Bond?” Hanks said in an interview with the BBC. He remembers the first James Bond film he saw, the 1967 film. You only live twice, directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Sean Connery as 007. Hanks said it was “hands down the greatest, most spectacular film I have ever seen.” I’ve seen it seven times!
Hanks admitted that he thinks there should be a James Bond movie every two years. When asked if he ever had ambitions to become the first American Bond, Hanks resisted taking on the role. In fact, if he were to be involved in a Bond film, Hanks would rather be Bond’s friend Felix Leiter.
“I would like to be the first good Felix Leiter!” I’ve never seen a very good Felix,” Hanks said. It’s worth keeping in mind that the actor’s comments came before Jeffrey Wright played the character in Casino Royale, Quantum of comfort And No time to dieso he did not want to cast shadow on the American fiction star.
Rather, it was the actors who preceded Wright who were less esteemed than Hanks thought he could provide himself. A little backwards, he said. “I mean, Jack Lord played Felix, David Hedison played Felix Leiter. These were two good Felixes throughout the series.
Leiter is a CIA agent and friend of Bond, so at least Hanks would play the role without having to do a British accent. “I’d like to be that American CIA agent who comes up in a little putt-putt boat,” he said, “and says, ‘Hi James!’ And James says, “Well, Felix Leiter of the CIA!” That’s who I’d like to be.
In 2023, Hanks gave his suggestion for which actor should play James Bond after Daniel Craig bowed out of the next character. No time to die. “Understand this: James Bond has the right to kill,” Hanks noted. “I would issue this license to Idris Elba solely based on the work I have seen him do.”
However, Elba, who apparently winked at Bond in Luther: The fallen sun with a scene in which he orders a martini, dismissed the idea of him playing 007, saying: “My Bond audition? Oh my God no ! I’ve been saying for years, no… The martini line is a bit cheeky, isn’t it?
Whether Elba will ever play Bond and whether Hanks will ever realize his dream of being able to play Felix Leiter remains to be seen, but it seems like Hanks at least has the insight to know that an American Bond would probably never work.
Check out the trailer for Tom Hanks’ favorite James Bond film below.
