Make James Bond Sexy Again
by Paulina Enck
Charisma, contradiction, and the staying power of 007.
In 1963, critic Raymond Mortimer described James Bond as “what every man would like to be, and what every woman would like between her sheets.” This review of Ian Fleming’s novel “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” for The Sunday Times epitomizes the iconic super spy’s timeless appeal: aspirational for men, irresistible to women.
As casting is underway for the 26th entry in the franchise after Daniel Craig’s enjoyable but wildly uneven tenure, much attention is being paid to who will take on the iconic role next.
Whoever is tasked with playing James Bond is saddled not just with a character, or even a franchise, but with over 70 years of cultural imagination. This name has become synonymous with a certain brand of spy: the seductive, debonair, endlessly charming yet wildly competent fantasy of secret intelligence.
Screenwriter Stephen Knight, who is writing the upcoming Denis Villeneuve-directed entry, has let slip that the next actor has been cast, but has remained tight-lipped about who will next don the tuxedo.
As predictions and fantasy casts abound, we must acknowledge this simple truth. Sex appeal is a vital component of James Bond and must be preserved.
Current frontrunner Jack Lowden is a talented actor, particularly adept at elevating mediocre historical dramas such as “Mary Queen of Scots” and “Benediction.” But he lacks a certain quality required for these archetypal literary sex symbols, as demonstrated by the distinctly unenthusiastic response to his casting as another iconic figure, Mr. Darcy of “Pride and Prejudice.”
Women may never fully coalesce around a coherent definition of what makes a man attractive, as shown by the fact that both Jason Momoa and Timothée Chalamet have legions of rabid devotees, but Bond is a particular classic masculine archetype.
So what do women really want? A flippant, if honest, response could be summed up as a man who acts like Sean Connery and looks like Pierce Brosnan.
The ideal Bond needs to fill a specific set of traits. Handsome is a given, but not just any pretty boy up-and-comer will do. The actor needs to embody both a rugged masculinity and refined suaveness, equally at home with a martini glass or a gun in his hand.
This dichotomy is truly central to the entire gambit. Too genteel and the spy lacks the danger that makes him a bad yet irresistible idea. But too gruff and you lose the seductive glamour of the fantasy. The contrast is the point.
James Bond has the charm of that terrible boyfriend you know is bad for you, but you cannot quite bring yourself to cut out of your life. Beyond just looks, charisma is crucial. Quick with a one-liner that sounds witty rather than rehearsed, this actor must seduce the audience while charming a harem of romantic interests.