Open Question: Is your first James Bond destined to be your favorite James Bond?
Are we fated to love the Bond we love or can we choose?
Earlier this week I tried to make some sense of what the Timothy Dalton era was all about and how it connected to the experience of growing up as part of Generation X. As part of the piece, I confessed my deep attachment to Roger Moore, the first actor I ever saw play Bond. Which got me thinking: Are we fated to have our strongest connection with the first Bond we encounter? Or are we free to choose a favorite Bond? I’m not sure. I know what my experience has been, but I’m curious if it’s been the same for others.
This is a topic I've discussed a lot lately, especially as I've introduced by almost-12-year-old son to James Bond with Skyfall over the weekend and No Time to Die last night. I was born in the early '70s so Roger Moore is my first Bond -- and as you guys put it, your first Bond is theoretically your favorite Bond. But while the Gen Xer in me appreciates the knowing goofiness of Moore, the film critic in me loves Daniel Craig the most for all the complexity and vulnerability he's shown in the role. Part of that is the writing, of course, and the willingness to let the character evolve and reveal some depth. But Craig also seems better equipped for that challenge than any actor who's played Bond before him. He can be dashing and roguish and sexy, but he's also deeply compelling in Bond's darker, introspective moments. Thanks for posing this question!
No. Or at least, I don't think so.
The first Bond movie I ever saw was Octopussy, and I still have a great attachment to it. But the first *Bond* I really got was Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights. Still a little sad he never got a third swing.