April 13th, 1953 saw the first printing of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale introduce the world at large to the mythology that would lead to the James Bond movies. 007’s first literary mission saw him beaten and bruised, but ready to start a legacy that continues, both in print and on the big screen, 70 years later. Casting this iconic role is as difficult now as it was back in the day, a fact that the franchise’s long time casting director has proven again when explaining why hopefuls like Henry Cavill and Sam Heughan didn’t make the cut for the 2006 soft reboot.
In an interview with RadioTimes, casting director Debbie McWilliams got to go deeper into the process that kicked off the story of Daniel Craig's James Bond. With eight actors screen tested for Casino Royale, there was a range of candidates that did include Cavill and Heughan. But when it came to casting the lead to softly reboot the Bond continuity, the approach to the character informed McWilliams and her team in the following manner:
When we started, it was a slightly different feel. We did look at a lot of younger actors. and I just don't think they had the gravitas, they didn't have the experience, they didn't have the mental capacity to take it on, because it's not just the part they're taking on, it's a massive responsibility. So we kind of scrubbed that idea and went back to the drawing board and started again.
Those sentiments definitely align with those of Casino Royale director Martin Campbell, who previously told CinemaBlend that Cavill’s youthful inexperience was the reason he didn’t land the role in the end. The same could be said for Sam Heughan, as the Outlander star’s Casino Royale audition also saw him losing out on the lead role of this very franchise. Admittedly, Heughan admitted that he wasn’t ready for the role at that time, further backing both Campbell and McWiliams’ commentary on the matter.
Interesting enough, Debbie McWilliams dispelled another notion that some have when it comes to auditioning for the role of James Bond. While some may think that Henry Cavill and Sam Heughan’s lack of notoriety might have had an effect on their potential casting, that is apparently not true. Looking forward to the current race to cast the next 007, McWilliams ran through the history of actors who did land the roles, pointing out the following variety of resumes:
Timothy Dalton was known, but he was known as a Shakespearean actor, really. Pierce was known, but that was basically from television. Roger Moore was known from television. Sean Connery wasn't [known] – nobody had ever heard of him. A certain audience had heard of Daniel Craig, but much more the kind of independent cinema audience. He hadn't done any huge commercial film at all, really – Layer Cake I suppose was the most popular, should we say, of the things he had done prior to Bond, but he wasn't a hugely well known actor.
We’re still no closer to finding out who the next cinematic James Bond will be, which means rumors and betting odds are still allowed to run rampant with speculation. That being said, Debbie McWilliams has provided another bit of commentary that’ll help future evaluations regarding who could be in line to compete. With experience and gravitas topping the potential of a household name, it’s still anybody's game when it comes to spinning the wheel to become this iconic cinematic super spy. Though let’s face it, Henry Cavill’s still game for the role, and he’s arguably developed that gravitas required.
In celebration of Casino Royale’s 70th anniversary in print, James Bond fans can commemorate the event in two different ways. Bookworms can dig into the reprints of Ian Fleming’s original books, which are currently available on shelves. Meanwhile, the Daniel Craig film of the same name is now streaming for your convenient viewing. You don’t need a license to kill, but an HBO Max subscription is definitely required.
