Actors' Rendering of James Bond and Sherlock Holmes Examined by Ron Feyereisen It has been said that imitation is the fondest form of flattery. It is also known that to an actor, their own personal triumph is when they finally see the world through the eyes of the person they are portraying. This is especially true when the character or characters are very popular and almost historical in their everlasting appeal. The actors interpretation, alas, is not always correct and many characters have gone through wild and unjust changes before becoming what is called, The Model. To many admirers of James Bond, Sean Connery is the first and closest to 'The Model' of the MI6 secret agent 007. As a fan of Sherlock Holmes, another popular character in fiction with similar actor portrayals, the same could be said about Basil Rathbone as being 'The Model'. Sure there were other actors before these two gentlemen who portrayed these characters but they all seemed pale in comparison.
Connery, on the other hand, really did not have much to go on. The "look" of Bond really was not that clear especially when he was referred to as looking like 'Stardust' lyricist Hoagy Carmichael! So Connery had to take on the role as if Bond was modeled after himself: tall, dark, tough, with an air of supreme self-confidence. Their match to the essence of the characters could not have been more exact. So thus, 'The Model' was created.
Replacing such 'Models' has always been near impossible and maybe so for good reason. Many times the "powers-that-be" are inclined to take drastic measures to insure that their star characters are not in jeopardy of extinction. This is when an actor, who is not trying not to imitate 'The Model', is either forced or accepts an interpretation that is the opposite. This is called, The Anti-Model.
James Bond's essence was thankfully At this time in the history of these characters, the "powers-that-be" must have been made aware that the interpretations of Holmes and Bond had changed for the worst. The decision was to go back and try to revive 'The Models' with only small changes given. This then created, The Resurrected Model. The main change in Holmes was to go back to the original Victorian look and settings but not completely doing an authentic period piece. Ronald Howard (not the "Happy Days" actor) was the first actor to bring back some of the essence found in 'The Model'. These made-for-Television episodes were good but not great though one could feel a change for the better was coming.
The Personification. This is where great debates start and where justifications of the facts are witnessed. There is a moment in the history of a character, though rare, when an actor comes along and emerges as the 'New Model' for which all others will be judged. This is the case of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and Pierce Brosnan as James Bond 007.
Mr. Brett knew full well what he was up against. After The main fact that really helped was that Brett liked and enjoyed portraying Sherlock Holmes. This was not just another role to play with for a time and abandon, it was a legacy. Fans of these great episodes knew, from reports, that Jeremy was very ill for most of the series. Even though his heart was failing and his body was weak, he still WAS Sherlock Holmes right up to the last story. He is greatly missed for he was the personification and 'New Model' of The Consulting Detective.
"GoldenEye" was a long anticipated Bond film. It had been six years since the last film, "License to Kill", and Dalton had already stepped down from the role. This new adventure had much riding on it. One could almost see the ringing hands of the producers, standing in front of Brosnan in full "Bondian Tux", wondering if he had the magic to make the character come to life. They did not have to wait long. The new film was a success and the public loved Pierce. They enjoyed watching Pierce getting into the role while jumping off cliffs and trying to save the world. Women, who had publicly said that they did not like Dalton, for what ever reasons, now loved Brosnan as our hero. "GoldenEye" was a success. It had one thing that hadn't been seen in a long time, an actor who LOOKED like he was having a great time in the role and doing it well enough to make everyone believe that he was James Bond, flesh and blood. With "Tomorrow Never Dies", the second Brosnan - Bond film, the fact was proven again that 'The Model' had been authenticated. This film was even more popular than the first and included an even better Bond character. Now comfortable in the role, Brosnan will continue to portray the Bond 'Model' that audiences love and respect. Many hope that this period will last for a long time since the audience knows what type of 'Model' will come next. It has come full-circle. The 'Models' of these great characters in fiction are now once again whole and we, the audience, are pleased with the outcome. When the 'New Models' leave, we can only hope that the period of suffering will be short. Only time will tell what happens next but there is one thing on our side to keep us contented in the meantime: recordings on videotape, DVD, and laserdisc! © 1998 by Ron Feyereisen Ron Feyereisen is a Sherlockian, James Bond connoisseur, and Sci-Fi fan. When not boring his friends with useless knowledge pertaining to these subjects, he writes for web sites. This is his first article for HMSS. |
Rathbone had it easier than Connery. He looked as if he jumped right out of the Sidney Paget drawings from The Strand Magazine. He also had a remarkable speaking voice that seemed to match the way many people thought Holmes should sound like.
This period of watching 'The Model' actors' portrayal of these favorite characters usually comes to an end when they become bored with their alter egos. Rathbone, at the start of his journey with Holmes, said that it was better than portraying Hamlet, which is great praise coming from a Shakespearean trained actor. However, after 14 films, the fire had gone out of his beloved character. Sean Connery, who became so popular that he could not even go into a bathroom without the press and fans hounding him, felt the same way and they both went on to seek other roles.
The over-night transformation of Sherlock Holmes was terrible. Holmes, an individual of reason, high intellect, and poise, was portrayed as a strange, neurotic drug fiend whom no one in their right mind would go to for help and assistance. A viewing of "The Seven Per-Cent Solution" will prove this. Even more so, this great literary character was looked upon as a comedic buffoon in many not very funny films like "Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" to name one. We can only imagine the reason for doing this but one theory is that if you cannot be the best, be the worst! 
treated with a little more respect. George Lazenby, many believe, could have been an interesting 'New Model'. Sadly, his turn as Bond was only a single outing and really could not establish himself firmly. Roger Moore did his best at filling Connery's place but changed the characters' persona nonetheless. Moore's Bond was less in many aspects. He was less tough, clownish, and relied too much on Q-Branch to solve a situation instead of intellectual skill and guts. Connery used humor frequently but it was dry and off-handed and not done for laughs. Near the end of Moore's time as Bond, the essence of the character was seen as an older, powder-puff spy rather than the young, tough, killer 'Model'. 
With the departure of Roger Moore from the role of Bond in 1987, Timothy Dalton was next. His interpretation was, he claimed, more true to 'The Model' found in the literary works. His Bond was a great improvement above Moore's but once again, not complete. He was an intense, hate-driven Bond that took much of the fun out of the character. This concentration made him seem less confident about himself and the job he was doing. Connery, 'The Model', never had to react with such emotion because his confidence kept him collected. The
decision to make Dalton's films more "real world" may have been the main factor of this change but the Bond stories have always been more entertaining being played a little outside of this "world". Out of this new, reborn essence comes,
forty years of Holmes being the favorite figure of Rathbone, there was going to be a major change needed here and for the better. Brett read all of the original stories by Doyle and really studied the character and his persona. When production started on the new series from Granada TV, he was known to demand changes in the script to better match the original storyline. The producers, believing in Brett, smartly made the changes. Their goal was to create a series of Doyle screenplays that were more true to the original works than any other before it.
Pierce Brosnan always seemed the perfect person to portray James Bond. Even in his early years, he was chosen to play a Bondian-type of persona on the TV series "Remington Steele". When reports came out that he was being considered to play Bond, no one could disagree. Many people said that he was natural for the role even before seeing him portray Bond. There was a symbiotic quality between Brosnan and the character that made the two complete.