The Poster Memorabilia blog

Experiencing the James Bond Aura in Person

A friend's wedding, a borrowed ticket, and the night Daniel Craig walked into the Royal Albert Hall.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

The biggest question Hollywood is desperate to answer these days is who will be the next James Bond. It's a legacy role countless actors covet, after all, and much like the men who've played it, 007 guarantees movie stardom to the lucky guy who gets to fill his shoes next.

I get why they're having a hard time finding the right one. Daniel Craig played James Bond so well, he did it for 15 years across five successful movies. And let me tell you: it's hard to follow him up. When I say the guy had aura, the guy had maximum aura!

I met him at the world premiere of Spectre in London back in 2015. I saw the entire cast in person, and they were all stunning, but Daniel Craig had that something else. People didn't always think he was the most handsome Bond, but in a tuxedo, under those lights, he was impossible to look away from.

“When I say the guy had aura, the guy had maximum aura!”

Can you believe people actually doubted him when he first played Bond in Casino Royale? He followed Pierce Brosnan, whom many regard as the most handsome 007, and his rugged features stood in stark contrast to Brosnan's smooth appeal. Little did we know he'd become one of the best Bonds there ever was.

Good looks can only take an actor so far, especially for a character like James Bond. The role demands a unique kind of aura that draws men and women alike, sophisticated enough to be part of MI6, but also deadly enough to take on his countless enemies. Daniel Craig had that special something, and it's palpable when you're in the same room as him.

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You'd think a squint and a smolder would look goofy on men nowadays, a little bit like Zoolander on his best day. But Craig didn't look ridiculous at all! He posed for those cameras like he owned the building, and that night, he kind of did.

I didn't even care that British royalty was there. Prince William, Prince Harry, and the Duchess of Cambridge also attended the premiere, but all eyes were still on Craig and the rest of the cast. It didn't help them that Spectre also boasts two of the most glamorous Bond women we've seen in a while: Monica Bellucci and Léa Seydoux.

Here's how you know Craig really did have that Bond aura. When he posed between these two extraordinarily gorgeous women, I still focused on him. That's the kind of pull the role needs.

In any case, he proved to be the quintessential Bond, at least to me, when I saw him in real life. I still thank my lucky stars that I was in London for a friend's wedding when the movie held its world premiere. The bride, who's a bit of a socialite, even scored me tickets to the event.

I've already said this before, but whoever they eventually cast as James Bond will have big shoes to fill. Daniel Craig perfectly personified James Bond over those 15 years. The next guy will have to match his aura, or maybe even top it.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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