Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has become a stalwart in playing complex villains in blockbuster films. He has been featured in the MCU as Kaecillius inDoctor Strange, Gillert Grindelwald inFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and Jürgen Voller in the recentIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
However, his taste for mainstream villainy started in the James Bond filmCasino Royale. The first film of Daniel Craig’s iteration of the character, the film was a rousing hit and one of the most delicious parts of the espionage action film was Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre. The actor reportedly had to come up with his own backstory for his infamous eye scar as there was no information about it in the script or Ian Fleming’s novel, which was the basis for the film.
Also read:Mads Mikkelsen’s Insane Casting Coincidence Before Indiana Jones 5: “My friend made a list”
Production And Development OfCasino Royale
Casino Royalewas writer Ian Fleming’s first novel that introduced the world to Agent 007. Though it was the first novel, Eon Productions chose to start the film franchise withDr. Noand the novel was adapted as a television episode as well as a non-canon comedy film. While MGM hoped to make the film with the previous Bond – Pierce Brosnan, it only materialized after his departure and was chosen to be the first film forDaniel Craigas James Bond.
Screenwriter Paul Haggis was brought on board to do some rewrites by director Martin Campbell. Haggis mentioned that he wanted to give theBatman Beginstreatment to James Bond, making him more serious as the Brosnan films had veered into the campy territory.Casino Royaleis known for its faithfulness to the source material, a contribution from the initial screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
While Craig was already cast as James Bond, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen and actress Eva Green were cast as the antagonist and the ‘Bond girl’, Vesper Lynd for the film. The film opened to universal acclaim and was loved by critics and audiences alike despite the initial backlash over Craig’s casting. The film earned $616 million at the box office.
Also read:Mads Mikkelsen “Had So Many Ideas” While Tickling Daniel Craig’s Balls in Underrated $616M Thriller
Mads Mikkelsen As Le Chiffre InCasino Royale
While Daniel Craig proved his naysayers wrong with his phenomenal performance as James Bond inCasino Royale, another breakout star of the film wasMads Mikkelsen, who played the antagonist Le Chiffre. Chiffre is a banker for known terrorists and is a partner of the shadow organization SPECTRE. He is known to be a genius at mathematics and an expert in poker.
One of the defining characteristics of Mikkelsen’s Le Chifre is his signature eye scar and his tears of blood. The detail was added specially for the film and was not present in Ian Fleming’s novel. The scar gave Mikkelsen a menacing quality while also indicating that the character had undergone something traumatic. Every Bond villain since has had some scar or a wound.
Also read:“She had seen me in something”: Despite Starring in Star Wars and Marvel, Mads Mikkelsen Got His Kids’ Respect After His Music Video With Rihanna
Mads Mikkelsen reportedly had nothing to bounce off of when it came to the scar. The source material did not have the scar in the description of the character, making him more mysterious. The screenwriters did not give any back-story to the scar in the script and was only added as a small detail. Hence, Mikkelsen decided to come up with his own back story to get into the character better. He said in the bookNobody Does It Better,
“I think he was an orphan from Albania or Algiers — somewhere down there — and he had been a street kid until he turned 14 or 15. I am sure he was small, so he carried a pocket knife, and that eventually ended up in his own eye. That is why that scar is there. He has always had this thing with numbers; he played backgammon, and then he becomes a chess player, and then slightly moves into having contact with the Mob.”
The back-story seems to have worked as Mikkelsen’s performance as Le Chiffre has gone down in cinema history as one of the best villain portrayals and has paved the way for the actor to appear in antagonist roles in other blockbuster productions as well.
Also read:“I don’t really find it interesting”: Mads Mikkelsen Has No Interest In Becoming The Next Marlon Brando, Claims He Likes Playing ‘Losers’ For One Reason
Source:Nobody Does It Better
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
