I knew about thus show (but have never seen it) but I thought it was a British production. If it was an American production, I understand why they made him American.
That’s what the Walther is for.
Stranger
Did you ever visit Vegas in the early Seventies? Those were no stereotypes.
Got news for you: few people can, unless there’s a strong regional accent involved. I’ve been living in Toronto for almost twelve years now, and I still can’t tell the nationality of most people I encounter.
Indeed. She was a classmate of my father’s, at high school in Toronto. I’ve seen her photo in Dad’s old high school yearbooks.
And of course, Bruce shows up in Octopussy as a loud-mouthed US Airforce base commander.
One of my favorites. He’s the American tourist who orders a Waldorf salad on Fawlty Towers, and the gung-ho Colonel who dresses down Joker in Full Metal Jacket.
I was in Miami about a year ago and stayed at that hotel. The whole pool area has been rebuilt since the movie was shot. Still pretty cool, though.
Bishop showed up twice in the Bond films. He was a ground controller for the American rocket in You Only Live Twice, and Klaus Hergersheimer, who Bond impersonates to sneak into the satellite facility in Diamonds Are Forever.
Whoops, I forgot Terentii had already mentioned Boa in Octopussy.
It was a feature of the Bond series in its early days that they recycled actors a lot. Fun little game for nerds like me to play spot the actor you’ve seen before.
Talking of Americans in Bond, one was nearly cast AS Bond, James Brolin having been screen-tested in the 1980s (along with a pre- Jurassic Park Sam Neill), but the job eventually went to Timkthy Dalton.
Pierce Brosnan was tested too, and I think actually offered the role. However, he was unable to accept at the time due to his contractual obligations to the TV series Remington Steele, which had unexpectedly been renewed for a fifth season.
Adam West was also considered, but he declined.
Ooh he would make a GREAT bond
Bond: My brother and I were close
Gangster: I had a brother
Bond: Small world.
The gangsters in Diamonds are Foreverwere , I agree, appalling stereotypes. But, to give the film its due, they were appalling stereotypes in Fleming’s novel, too.
As an aside, I like to think that the scene in Scorsese’s Casino where he berates the pit boss for not realizing that the scot machines were rigged was just preceded by Q playing with his gizmo:
Stranger
PLENTY: Hi. I’m Plenty. Plenty O’Toole.
BOND: Named after your father, no doubt.
Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
Sheriff Pepper was supposedly inspired by a Dodge commercial.
He played Bond (kinda) in the Burt Reynolds film Hooper.
Shane Rimmer was another (he was in four Bond movies – different characters each time).
The main reason they got so much work wasn’t that they were cheaper than Hollywood actors, but that they were UK residents, and members of British Actors’ Equity. And known to British casting directors, too, I suppose.
William Hootkins and John Ratzenberger benefited in the same way.
And if a British movie of the era had an Asian male character, odds were it was played by Burt Kwouk