While there’s only ever been six men to have played the role of James Bond in the official cinematic canon, the world definitely has its favorites who seem to get more attention than others. Even we here at CinemaBlend have debated whether Sean Connery or Daniel Craig is the superior 007, as those seem to be the people’s champions. But after a sweet birthday message to Timothy Dalton last weekend, George Lazenby has inspired a huge tide of love for the most underrated Bond performances of them all.
With Timothy Dalton celebrating his 75th birthday, the internet was already primed to send their best wishes to the man who played James Bond in only two films. Sharing somewhat of a common lot as a 007 who didn’t stick around for long, but made a lot of fans over time, George Lazenby sent his wishes over to his brother in arms. The post that sparked all of the fan love can be seen below, courtesy of Lazenby’s Twitter:
Almost as if it was a signal for James Bond fans to come out of the woodwork, other 007 fanatics emerged to heap praises upon the men who made movies like On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and License To Kill constant favorites in the series’ undercard. And one admirer just came right out of the gate to say what everyone was thinking:
With three films between George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton, there’s a lot of talk that surrounds their combined and limited legacy in all things Bond. But when you’re as dedicated to their prowess in the role as this next commenter, the case for why folks like Dalton rank pretty highly in some James Bond opinion polls is pretty easy to see:
Both Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby’s performances do share something in common, as you’ll see in this next wish of wellness for Dalton’s birthday. That “it factor” happens to be how both actors have played the role of 007 as close to the character Ian Fleming wrote on the page as humanly possible. Check out that praise for yourself:
With three movies and several decades since they’ve embodied the face of James Bond, Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby still remain favorites of the fans who love to dig deep into the Bond catalog. While Lazenby left the role on his own volition, and Dalton didn’t pursue any further installments when legal woes delayed what would have been his third film, their tenures were cut short, in part, by the forces of fate. But as our final fan reaction proves, that doesn’t dim their stars to any lesser brightness:
Happy belated birthday, Timothy Dalton, and a heap of well wishes to you as well, George Lazenby! Without the two of you blazing the trail, there’s no telling what would have happened to the James Bond legacy. Though it’s almost certain that we wouldn’t have gotten Daniel Craig’s stellar turn in the tuxedo were it not for your efforts to show the many facets of Bond, James Bond, on the big screen. We’ll see that turn come to an end this fall, when No Time To Die debuts in theaters on October 8.
