One James Bond Actor Change Could Have Saved Craig-Era Blofeld
One casting change could have led to a far more dynamic version of Ernst Stavro Blofeld for Daniel Craig’s James Bond era. Christoph Waltz took on the role of James Bond’s arch-nemesis in Craig’s last two films, SPECTRE and No Time To Die, following in the footsteps of Blofeld actors like Donald Pleasance, Telly Savalas, and Charles Gray. Waltz was made up to resemble his screen predecessors, even down to Pleasance’s iconic scar and his fluffy cat, with the only twist on the classic formula being the contrived and heavily criticized moment Blofeld was revealed as James Bond’s adoptive brother.
In paying tribute to previous screen Blofelds, too, it veered away from his physical appearance in Ian Fleming’s books. Though Blofeld went through a number of disguises through the three books he appeared in, he always retained one thing – a large, imposing physique. In his first appearance in Thunderball, his body mass was described as “about twenty stone,” (280 lbs.) having been an amateur weightlifter in his youth, with muscle that had softened under his “vast belly that he concealed behind roomy trousers.” Though he lost weight in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, in his last appearance in James Bond novel You Only Live Twice, he was described as being a “dominant, horrific figure,” about “six foot three, and powerfully built.” Waltz’s Blofeld retained the sharp intellect of Fleming’s character, but lacked the sheer physical size that also made him such a threat to Bond.
Related: Spectre Ruined Daniel Craig's 007 Origin Story (By Bringing Back Blofeld)
However, there was another actor playing a villain in SPECTRE who had the potential to pull off both sides of Blofeld: 6'6" former wrestler Dave Bautista, who played the silent
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