007

Being that it's almost time for the debut of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond I thought, as a fan, I'd offer my opinions on those who were not chosen as the next 007. Two things to keep in mind as you read. 1) There is only one James Bond, and that is Sean Connery, and 2) I'm perfectly fine with the choice of Daniel Craig, I think he bring a long-lost toughness back to the role. So, setting Craig, Daniel Craig, aside, here is my ranking of the other candidates whose names were bandied about along with three of my own suggestions (in red).

Oh, and just so you can see where I'm coming from, here is my ranking of those who have played Bond in the past.

1. Sean "Big Tam" Connery
2. Pierce Brosnan
3. George Lazenby
4. Roger Moore
5. Timothy Dalton

1. Ewan McGregor: This is the choice that should have been made. A fine actor, he has a dark side, and he's Scottish.*

2. Kevin McKidd: If the producers were comfortable going "James Blonde," McKidd would have been my first choice. He's great on HBO's "Rome"- tough yet vulnerable- and, yes, Scottish.

3. Clive Owen: Perhaps the best of the non-Scottish actors to be suggested for the role. In my mind he'd been in the running since he starred in "Croupier."

4. Hugh Jackman: He comes off as a bit too rough and ready, but with a little help from Miss Manners and a good tuxedo, I could see this working.

5. Ioan Gruffud: He'd need to bulk up a bit, but I could probably go for this choice. He's a quality actor and there just something really likable about him.

6. Alastair Mackenzie: He'd have to loose the dodgy haircut he had on "Monarch of the Glen," but otherwise, I think he could do it...and Scottish.

7. Orlando Bloom: Maybe next time, right now, too young.

8. Matthew McFadyen: He's already appeared in a spy-related series on the Beeb ("Spooks") in which he/his character demonstrated the ability to be the cold professional. Might work.

9. Gerard Bulter: Might have been okay in the role, maybe the "poor man's" Ewan McGregor... and Scottish.

10. Jude Law: Er, I like him, but I just don't see it. A bit too "precious" for my tastes and whether he is in life or not, on screen he looks physically small.

11. Jason Statham: I like him, I've enjoyed his movies, but he's just a bit too thuggish- barely less of a neanderthal than Vinnie Jones.

12. Eric Bana: Nope. I liked him as the Hulk, but I was not too impressed with his acting "chops," even in "Munich."

13. Heath Ledger: Um, no.

14. Colin Firth: A great actor, but he would have made his Bond debut when he was five years older than Connery was when he bowed out. And I don't see him as a "man of action."

15. Hugh Grant: I thought this was a joke, but numerous online searches returned his name as one possibility. Concisely put, one Roger Moore was one Roger Moore too many.

*Important as Bond, in Ian Fleming's books, was half-Scottish and half-Swiss.