Who was the most "tool" out of the 6 James Bond actors?

[Good Will Riker]

Out of the 6 James Bond actors thus far, which of them do you think was most like "a tool" in terms of the Broccoli family/Harry Saltzman using the actor the way they wanted to in controlling his public image, on-screen performances, and marketing as 007?

I personally believe that Roger Moore had the most independence when it came to crafting his own image and persona as EON's 007 and free to voice his opinion and reservations about the role in public, with Timothy Dalton coming in 2nd with the producers allowing him to interpret the role the way he wanted to based on Ian Fleming's Bond.

Moore really seemed like the only actor relaxed in his public image as 007, while the other actors acted really formally and appeared somewhat serious and unrelaxed in their interviews and in public appearances as if they had to project a scripted "Bond image" not like their real life personalities.

 

[Siwilliams]

craig, making bond not bond by having him be jason bourne...that's their goal

 

[FordSVT]

^Bullshit. Personality-wise Craig's bond is NOTHING like Jason Bourne. In fact, he's almost the opposite. He's a dedicated killer with a purpose and very little remorse. He's (still) a womanizer with a taste for luxury. He knows exactly who he is and what his mission is and who his loyalties lay with. He is an agent of Queen and Country and will do anything within his power to fulfil his objectives. Bourne was dumped into a situation he barely understands and desperately wants out of and only kills as a last resort. If anything, Bond is be the man Bourne would have been if the programming had stuck. That's just scratching the surface, you could write a short essay about their differences.

IMO you are confusing the similar (and yet still not identical) styles of the two movie franchises with the characters within them.

 

[Starkers]

Craig's Bond has personality...something Damon's Bourne could never have IMO.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Damon's Bourne doesn't flip someone on a motorcycle for kicks.

Craig's Bond does.

And the list of differences goes on and on.

 

[CorporalClegg]

^Bullshit. Personality-wise Craig's bond is NOTHING like Jason Bourne. In fact, he's almost the opposite. He's a dedicated killer with a purpose and very little remorse. He's (still) a womanizer with a taste for luxury. He knows exactly who he is and what his mission is and who his loyalties lay with. He is an agent of Queen and Country and will do anything within his power to fulfil his objectives. Bourne was dumped into a situation he barely understands and desperately wants out of and only kills as a last resort. If anything, Bond is be the man Bourne would have been if the programming had stuck. That's just scratching the surface, you could write a short essay about their differences.

In other words, they actually made him ... James Bond.

 

[captcalhoun]

craig. could the guy have been LESS responsive when he did that first press conference? jee-sus! and seriously, whoever caved into giving him a life-vest over his suit should be shot. okay, the Marines said he had to wear one, but couldn't they give him one that went under the suit? that or thy shoulda nixed the whole speedboat up the Thames idea.

 

[Siwilliams]

^Bullshit. Personality-wise Craig's bond is NOTHING like Jason Bourne. In fact, he's almost the opposite. He's a dedicated killer with a purpose and very little remorse. He's (still) a womanizer with a taste for luxury.

Double bullshit to you!

He aint a womanizer in these past two and if you can not see how these are more Bourne than Bond.....then you don't know Bond, and that is clearly the fact

 

[Canadave]

^Bullshit. Personality-wise Craig's bond is NOTHING like Jason Bourne. In fact, he's almost the opposite. He's a dedicated killer with a purpose and very little remorse. He's (still) a womanizer with a taste for luxury.

Double bullshit to you!

He aint a womanizer in these past two and if you can not see how these are more Bourne than Bond.....then you don't know Bond, and that is clearly the fact

Really. How do you figure, given he's had four different female companions in two movies, so far.

 

[Marc]

craig. could the guy have been LESS responsive when he did that first press conference? jee-sus! and seriously, whoever caved into giving him a life-vest over his suit should be shot. okay, the Marines said he had to wear one, but couldn't they give him one that went under the suit? that or thy shoulda nixed the whole speedboat up the Thames idea.

Some actors absolutely hate the press junkets they have to and frankly don't blame them - being asked the same stupid questions by one reporter/interviewer after another and it's quite possible that Craig is one such actor.

As for which is the biggest tool, I've read that Connery can be a bit of arrogrant stiff, Dalton likes things done his way but I think Lazonby might take the cake.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Given the conditions laid out in the OP, I might have to say Connery. He was the only one of the actors who really didn't know what he was getting into, he had to be coached to be more Bond-like, he was very soft-spoken and humble in early interviews, and AFAIK, only Lazenby had a shorter acting resume going into it. Lazenby may have been a complete neophyte actor, but he was reportedly something of a prima donna and wound up quitting the role and making it public before the movie premiered, so I don't think he qualified as a "tool", having left on his own terms in a way that didn't please the producers.