Speaking to ComingSoon.net on November 14, Jeffrey Wright had this to say about his portrayal of our favorite CIA agent in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace:

“I do try to bring, particularly to the first one (Casino Royale), my own thing to it,” Wright said of the influence past Bond movies had on “Quantum’s” production. “For me, Jack Lord sprung to mind. I mean the shades. And outside of Miles Davis, he was the coolest cat on the planet. And I was just very excited to bring some fresh life into the character and into the series to the extent that I could.”

Wright continued, “I think we are influenced only in that there is a previous history to these films. It’s a Bond film. There is an element of style and slickness. But at the same time, there has always been an intelligence to these films that cuts through as well.”

And what’s next for Felix Leiter, newly appointed section chief of South America?

Felix Leiter’s promotion at the end of Quantum of Solace foreshadows what will hopefully be a much larger role in the next Bond film. Wright continues, “I don’t think anything has been written yet, but I hear some interesting things…rumblings.”

This is probably my favorite Jeffrey Wright interview yet. “For me, Jack Lord sprung to mind. I mean the shades. And outside of Miles Davis, he was the coolest cat on the planet” is one of the coolest quotes ever!

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