Mark Strong has hilariously blamed a drinking session with Daniel Craig for costing him a role as a James Bond villain in the 1990s. Created by Ian Fleming, the British secret agent debuted in the 1953 book, Casino Royale. Fleming went on to write a succession of follow-ups over the next decade. Following Fleming's death in 1964, a number of different authors took up his mantle. However, even Fleming's unused novel and short story titles have remained the quintessential outings for many of the most avid James Bond fans.
The iconic adventures made the jump to the big screen with 1962's Dr. No and Sean Connery embodying the titular spy. Across the decades, twenty-three official movies were produced and turned the franchise into one of the most profitable of all-time. Stepping into Connery's considerable shoes, several actors have assumed the role. The most recent was Craig, who came aboard for something of a soft reboot in 2006. Craig ultimately returned for four direct sequels — including 2021's No Time To Die, which will be the twenty-fourth franchise installment overall. For as many actors that have portrayed the iconic 007 mantle, however, there has been even larger array of villains for him for him to overcome.
Speaking with Sky One's There's Something About Movies (as reported by THR), Strong revealed he was once in line to play one. According to the veteran actor, he had an audition to star in a 1990s installment. Unfortunately, the day before, he decided to go out and celebrate with Craig. During the festivities, Strong ended up getting extremely drunk. That, in turn, led to an inevitable hangover the next day. Though he still attended the opportunity to star opposite Pierce Brosnan's 007, the actor admitted that it went terribly — for which, with tongue firmly in cheek, Strong had no qualms blaming Craig. Check out the full story below:
"I learned the lines...and, to celebrate, I went out for a drink and I got pissed. I overdid it and, the next day, I was severely hungover. It was a mess. I started, then I just forgot my lines, couldn't remember what they were and they all just kind of fell apart. I was sweating, it was a terrible experience. But I really learned from it. The irony was, the guy I was out the night before getting pissed with was Daniel Craig. So, I blame him!"
Both Craig and Strong came to prominence via the British series Our Friends in the North. They've since become prolific stars — both by way of working with director Matthew Vaughn. The fact that, for Craig, one of his prominent roles ended up being James Bond made Strong's story all the more ironic. Based on Strong's comments, however, he holds no genuine ill-will over it. In fact, it no doubt helped solidify the bond shared by the close friends and gave them something to laugh about as both their respective careers took off regardless. As well as Craig's upcoming turn in No Time To Die, he will appear in multiple planned Knives Out sequels, reprising the role of Benoit Blanc. The future of James Bond itself, however, has remained the subject of speculation following Amazon's high-profile acquisition of MGM back in May.
It wasn't specified which Bond villain Strong was up for. With Brosnan having enjoyed three 007 outings in the 1990s, there are plenty for Bond fans to pick from and theorize over. Regardless of any disappointment, however, Strong indeed learned from the event. There's no doubt that Strong channelled that experience to great effect — having portrayed a number of classic villains and starred in several action-packed spy dramas. As such, that particular itch has probably been scratched. That being said, should it ever return, the door will likely be wide open for him to oppose James Bond in future outings. And with no audition necessary.
Source: There's Something About Movies (via THR)
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