Craig on Letterman
highhopes
Posts: 1,358MI6 Agent
According to CBN, Daniel Craig will appear on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on November 7.
This just makes me like Craig even more. I would have been annoyed with him if he'd appeared on Leno first. Some of you may have seen Connery a few years back arriving for his appearance via the Thunderball jetpack (he was actually lowered to the stage with wires, but it was great). I'm always amazed at what Letterman can get his guests to do. This appearance ought to speak volumes about Craig's personality. Some come off great, others like self-important idiots like Cher, once who called letterman an "*******; or Shirley MacClaine, who basically did the same thing. I always laugh when Warren Beatty is on the show and Dave asks him "So how's your sister?"
This just makes me like Craig even more. I would have been annoyed with him if he'd appeared on Leno first. Some of you may have seen Connery a few years back arriving for his appearance via the Thunderball jetpack (he was actually lowered to the stage with wires, but it was great). I'm always amazed at what Letterman can get his guests to do. This appearance ought to speak volumes about Craig's personality. Some come off great, others like self-important idiots like Cher, once who called letterman an "*******; or Shirley MacClaine, who basically did the same thing. I always laugh when Warren Beatty is on the show and Dave asks him "So how's your sister?"
Comments
THAT was awesome! What amazed me most was that Connery actually seemed to enjoy the whole stunt (aside from the comment about the tight fit in his nether regions).
I'll have to try and remember about the Craig appearance. Most interesting for me will be to see Letterman's attitude toward the new Bond.
Yeah -- It's the only time I've ever seen Connery actually display some fondness for his old alter ego.
I'm sure -- hope -- Letterman will be less than reverential for Craig's appearance (although he's softened a bit over the years, he's still the "edgier" late night host and will make fun of a guest). Which leads me to think Craig will be less than reverential too, not being a rabid Bond fanboy himself. I think it might "humanize" him a bit for the public at large, but of course the inevitable "Craig isn't worshipful enough of the character" complaints are sure to arise. Let's hope he isn't Cher or MacClain. I'll be hugely disappointed in him.
I'd be worried too. If Connery can don a jet pack, Craig can hardly be surly. But I think the show is broadcast in Britain, so he might be familiar with it. If not, the CR folks I'm sure will brief him. No show is more likely to make you look like an ass if you don't go along with it. On the other hand, no show is more likely to make you look good if you're willing to be a little self-deprecating.
I think part of Craig's problem is that all we've really seen of him are images from the picture, where he doesn't smile much. He may be very engaging in person. I've seen pictures of him at premieres, and he seems to have no trouble showing his pearlies.
This show is kind of a harmonic convergence for me: Bond and Letterman, two of my favorite entertainment outlets.
Here's an old Letterman "Top 10 List"
Top Ten Least Impressive James Bond Gadgets
10. Remote-control squirrel
9. Digital clock that is also a radio
8. An illegal cable box
7. Cuff links shaped like dice
6. Panasonic wet-dry beard trimmer with night vision
5. Football-shaped phone
4. A refreshing soda that combines both lemon and lime
3. Shampoo and conditioner in one
2. Futuristic green liquid that fights bad breath
1. Delicious low-fat cheesecake
The bit with Connery was truly amazing. I remember watching that with my jaw on the floor, amazed that Letterman convinced him to make such an entrance. Dave Letterman isn't nearly the force he used to be when he was on NBC but he is still considered very hip and I for one still enjoy his show a great deal more than Leno (although I miss all the cool guest musicians and outlandish stunts of his NBC days).
This is a great opportunity for Craig to shine; but if he doesn't open up, Dave won't hesitate to rip him up. Either way, it promises to be an interesting show and potentially a defining moment in Craig's formal introduction as Bond in North America. Maybe Dave will get him to do a Top 10 List.
"Maybe Dave will get him to do a Top 10 List."
Can you imagine? That would be hilarious! "The top ten reasons why I won't be a bad 007!"
One must pass the time, particularly during that last agonizing week, somehow :007)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
That would be absolutely awesome. And it's exactly the kind of thing Letterman would do and the CR flaks, if they're sharp, should jump at the opportunity to let Craig do it. In fact, if they're really sharp, they'll suggest it themselves. Riff on all the criticisms: the blond hair, his looks, the grittiness, inability to drive stick, etc ...
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Let's see--I'm sure certain fans (and websites) will read a lot into the fact Craig appeared in only one segment and between two other guests at that. I can see it now: "Craig So Bad CBS Downplays His Letterman Appearance!"
I tuned in to Letterman as well. Hardyboy seems to have covered everything, except for Craig's entrance on stage to a version of Herb Albert's Casino Royale Theme.
-Roger Moore
The clip of the stairwell fight did look great.
One thing was interesting was the Omega watch commercial, featuring chunks of the CR trailer was shown after Craig's appearance.
All in all, a solid appearance, but certainly not on a par with Connery's. But that's a living legend for ya.
I think he's 6-4 or 6-5. And the ski sequence was very Bondian
Wow- I'd love to see that!
Anyway, Craig looked a little nervous and did as well as can be expected as Letterman doesn't really draw much conversation out... it's hardly going to go down as one of the all-time great interviews.
As Craig said: 'Some of my early work'
He looked relaxed to me, but clearly interviews are not his forte. An LA Times reporter noted in a story that Craig seems to take a while to warm up to the task (I posted the story yesterday), but once he gets going, does all right. And really the CNB would be incorrect to read anything at all into the length of the interview except that better-known bigger star tend to get the longer ones on Letterman. And they are generally people who do comedy like Tom Hanks or Bill Murray.
Loved the Stairwell fight. That looks like it's going to be brutal.
I'm not suprised that the interview was so short. Unless someone's a huge star, they are rarely still around after the ad break. Craig may be Bond, but he's not still not a big star.
I also liked the mentions of the other Bonds (particularly the reference to Brosnan) although I think Dave's comment about Lazenby was a little harsh.
As a longtime Letterman watcher, although not of late, I can testify that he rarely if ever watches the movies (and yes -- it's out of indifference; he doesn't appear to be much of a movie fan and Hollywood is less important as a source of guests for him than Leno), which many guests who know him personally have alluded to. And the switched footage is standard fare, if there's something fitting and funny is available.
He did exactly the same thing (with the game show host gag) when Pierce was on, so that would count for his feelings towards Pierce too. I must say if I was there I would have been rather confused- are the audience just applauding because they can remember some movie stars? Just a very strange thing to do.
That's bizarre- didn't he host the Oscars once? A great failure, I know.
It actually wasn't his fault. His humour, which one either loves or hates, was totally unsuited for the Oscars. Dave can be a little repetitive in his joke making (he's still making jokes about Clinton six years after his presidency) and at the Oscars he kept on saying "Oprah meet Uma. Uma meet Oprah." If one is not a fan of his, one would be annoyed by his repetiviness, but if one is a fan of his, then one would be far less bothered by his repetiviness (which I personally don't mind.) Plus, very few Oscar hosts are successful.
Chris Rock lasted just one show, Steve Martin (whom I loved the first time) did two, John Stewart (whom I also really loved) won't be asked back again and Whoopi Goldberg hosted several times but she was always an understudy for Billy Crystal; the only genuinely popular Oscar host in the past 15 years. It's a tough gig.