Line #20 Creator/TimothyDalton


1	[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/timothydalton.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:305:[[Series/DoctorWho A Time Lord]], [[Series/DoomPatrol2019 a chief]], [[Film/TheRocketeer an evil 1930s movie star]], [[Franchise/ToyStory a toy hedgehog]], and of course, a [[Franchise/JamesBond secret agent with a]] ''Film/LicenceToKill''.]]
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4	->''"I don't think anyone except the few people who have played James Bond can tell you how strange and special it is and how much your life changes."''
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6	[[Series/DoctorWho For Gallifrey! For victory! For]] [[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere the description of Timothy Dalton himself!]]
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8	Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (born 21 March 1946 in Colwyn Bay, Wales) is a Welsh-born English actor.
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10	He has done Shakespeare for the Royal Shakespeare Company and was Philip II in ''Film/TheLionInWinter''. He played a supermarket manager in ''Film/HotFuzz'', Prince Barin in ''Film/{{Flash Gordon\|1980}}'', Neville Sinclair in ''Film/TheRocketeer'', Heathcliff in a 1970 adaptation of ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', Rochester in a 1983 adaptation of ''Series/{{Jane Eyre\|1983}}'' and Hercules' adoptive father Amphitryon in the 2005 adaptation of ''Series/{{Hercules}}''. He's voiced Mr. Pricklepants the toy hedgehog in the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' series since ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' and played a deliciously nutty villain in ''Series/{{Chuck}}''. He appears in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime The End of Time]]" as Rassilon. Creator/DavidTennant and he "sang" each other's theme tunes on set. He also played Sir Malcolm Murray in ''Showtime's'' ''Series/PennyDreadful'' and Peter Townsend in one episode of ''[[Series/TheCrown2016 The Crown]]''. He even voiced Sparrowhawk in the English dub of ''Anime/TalesFromEarthsea''.
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12	OK, we've got to mention it eventually. He played Film/JamesBond twice in the late 1980s, in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'' and ''Film/LicenceToKill''. His serious take on the role, based on the books' portrayal of the character divides Bond fans to this day - some love him, some hate him. What cannot be denied is that until Creator/DanielCraig showed up he certainly had the most grounded and serious take on the role. He was succeeded by Creator/PierceBrosnan in the role.
13	----
14	!!Roles with TV Tropes pages:
15	[[foldercontrol]]
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17	[[folder:Film roles]]
18	* ''Film/TheLionInWinter'' (1968) as Philip II
19	* ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' (1970) as Heathcliff
20	* ''Film/{{Cromwell}}'' (1970) as UsefulNotes/PrinceRupertOfTheRhine
21	* ''[[Film/MaryQueenOfScots1971 Mary, Queen of Scots]]'' (1971) as Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
22	* ''Film/{{Sextette}}'' (1978) as Sir Michael Barrington
23	* ''[[Film/FlashGordon1980 Flash Gordon]]'' (1980) as Prince Barin
24	* ''Film/JamesBond'' as Commander James Bond, Agent 007
25	** ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'' (1987)
26	** ''Film/LicenceToKill'' (1989)
27	* ''Film/BrendaStarr'' (1989) as Basil St. John
28	* ''Film/TheRocketeer'' (1991) as Neville Sinclair
29	* ''Film/TheBeauticianAndTheBeast'' (1997) as Boris Pochenko
30	* ''Film/AmericanOutlaws'' (2001) as Allan Pinkerton
31	* ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' (2003) as Damien Drake
32	* ''Film/HotFuzz'' (2007) as Simon Skinner
33	* ''Film/TheTourist'' (2010) as Chief Inspector Jones
34	[[/folder]]
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36	[[folder:Television roles]]
37	* ''Series/{{Centennial}}'' (1978–79) as Oliver Seccombe
38	* ''Series/CharliesAngels'' (1 episode, 1979) as Damien Roth
39	* ''Literature/JaneEyre'' (1983) as Edward Fairfax Rochester
40	* ''Literature/TheMasterOfBallantrae'' (1984) as Col. Francis Burke
41	* ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' ([[Recap/TalesFromTheCryptS4E13WerewolfConcerto 1 episode]], 1992) as Lokai
42	* ''Literature/{{Scarlett}}'' (1994) as Rhett Butler
43	* ''Series/{{Cleopatra\|1999}}'' (1999) as Julius Caesar
44	* ''Series/{{Hercules}}'' (2005) Amphitryon
45	* ''Series/{{Marple}}'' (1 episode, 2006) as Clive Trevelyan
46	* ''Series/DoctorWho'' ([[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime 1 episode]], 2009) as Narrator/Lord President Rassilon
47	* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' (6 episodes, 2010–11) as Gregory Tuttle/Alexi Volkoff/Hartley Winterbottom
48	* ''Series/PennyDreadful'' (2014-16) as Sir Malcolm Murray
49	* ''[[Series/DoomPatrol2019 Doom Patrol]]'' (2019–2023) as Niles Caulder/Chief
50	[[/folder]]
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52	[[folder:Voice roles]]
53	* ''Series/FaerieTaleTheatre'' (1 episode, 1985) as Narrator
54	* ''Anime/TalesFromEarthsea'' (2006) as Ged/Sparrowhawk (English-language dub)
55	* ''Franchise/ToyStory'' as Mr. Pricklepants
56	** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' (2010)
57	** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStoryToons'' (2011–12)
58	** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' (2019)
59	* ''WesternAnimation/DisneyFairies: Secret of the Wings'' (2012)
60	* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' (2 episodes, 2019–20) as Demanitus
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	!!Tropes related to Timothy Dalton:
64	* BigOlEyebrows: Has a noticeable pair that has grown considerably over the years. Goes great with his aforementioned beard, moustache and voice.
65	* ClassicallyTrainedExtra:
66	** Averted. He admits that he does big films like ''Hot Fuzz'' because [[DoingItForTheArt he enjoys them]].
67	** Interestingly scored a number of laughs in his role as one of these, Mr. Pricklepants, in the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' franchise since ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''.
68	* CoolOldGuy: Quite a few of his later roles have him playing characters like this.
69	* CreatorBacklash: You would be advised never to ask him about ''Film/{{Sextette}}'' where he played the husband of then 85-year-old Creator/MaeWest, who was fifty-three years older than him.
70	* LargeHam: His characters are normally reserved and stoic but, when the situation calls for it, he can ham it up with the best of them. See his performances in ''Film/HotFuzz'' and ''Series/DoctorWho'' for some truly epic scenery chewing.
71	* RealitySubtext: His take on James Bond is much less sex-obsessed than his predecessors, and his relationships with the {{Bond Girl}}s are more romantic in tone. This is because Dalton's tenure as Bond was in the late 80's and the filmmakers didn't want to glorify promiscuity at the height of the AIDS crisis.
72	* SilverFox: Spoken of very admirably on ''Hot Fuzz'''s commentary track -- particularly the part about how even at his age, Dalton can enter any pub and still turn the heads of every woman inside.
73	* VocalDissonance: While he does have quite the commanding voice, his voice can get jarringly high and squeaky whenever his characters are in a jovial mood.
74	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
75	** Dalton had been approached to play James Bond twice before his official debut in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights''. First, when Creator/SeanConnery quit after ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' in 1967, but he declined because he felt he was too young for the role, being in his early 20's, when James Bond is at least 15 years older. And again in 1981, when Creator/RogerMoore considered quitting before ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly''. He was going to take over before Moore changed his mind[[note]]The opening scene where Bond visits [[Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService Tracy Bond]]'s grave was written as a way of introducing the New Bond[[/note]].
76	** Dalton was all set to reprise James Bond in a [[https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/movies/bond17.php3 17th film]]... [[ScrewedByTheLawyers then MGM and Eon Productions got into a legal dispute]] (thanks to MGM's [[TyrantTakesTheHelm corrupt new owner Giancarlo Parretti]] attempting to sell the international TV rights to the movies without Eon's knowledge), which ground the franchise to a halt for a few years. Dalton officially stepped down from the role in 1994, and the script was scrapped in favor of what would become ''Film/GoldenEye''.
77	*** To elaborate, he was initially interested in reprising the role for a third film and not any further films. Despite their great working relationship and friendship, producer [[Creator/AlbertRBroccoli Albert "Cubby" Broccoli]] wanted Dalton to commit for a four-to-five film contract, which Dalton was unwilling to do. Not wanting to be contractually obligated to stick around for longer than he was willing to, Dalton announced his resignation from the role in April 1994.
78	** He also nearly didn't play Bond at all. Creator/PierceBrosnan was set to take the role from Roger Moore, but a clause in his ''Series/RemingtonSteele'' contract forced him to back out.
79	** He was also considered for Alfred in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' before Creator/JeremyIrons was cast. He ended up getting another Creator/DCComics role, Dr. Niles "The Chief" Caulder in ''Series/{{Doom Patrol\|2019}}''.
80	** Both he and fellow former James Bond Creator/SeanConnery were considered for the role of Mufasa in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''.

Context Creator / TimothyDalton