Iconic moments

Hey all. I hope everyone is well and still somewhat sane after 2 years of covid.

I read a post recently where the poster (I forget who) commented on how Daniel Craig really only has a couple of iconic moments (Do I look like I give a damn? and Bond, James Bond at the end of CR) and opined on how those aren’t really Craig moments as they are extensions of previously established tropes. While I agree with that sentiment, the same could be said for any actor who isn’t Connery when it comes to those particular tropes. Which got me thinking, are there any iconic tropes that were originated by actors other than Connery? And I don’t necessarily mean personal quirks or idiosyncrasies specific to one actor, but rather, an aspect that has come to be inextricably linked to the Bond franchise near or on par with the martini order or name introduction? Something that, when seen or heard, would make one think of the James Bond franchise as a whole and not just of one particular actor?

I can't really think of anything. It always feels like Connery is Bond and the rest are just playing him.

This is a great question, and I’m racking my brain...but I think not?

At least in terms of story tropes. I think the actors have influenced each other in their own ways, leaving lingering traces in subsequent Bond’s performances. For example, and even though Connery invented it, Moore’s ability to deliver the quip had to be in the minds of Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig whenever they were called to do so.

Yes - Moore had the Union Flag parachute, which is perhaps the most iconic post-Connery Bond moment.

I'd also put the crocodile-skipping up there.

During LTK's escape from the Wavekrest sequence, I found myself thinking this is going to be the setpiece that defines Dalton, because you get a full emotional range from rage when he is killing the bags of heroin and the underwater camera to sheer joy after his escape as the wind whips the money against his grinning face. That last image (despite the cruddy process work) really showed me where I'd like to see Bond go, delivering genuine thrills plus character, and even though everybody usually points to his TLD reveal as his Bond frame, I like this a lot more.

If he had done a couple more, and they had plumbed this territory of character and emotion w/o going off the Craig end of things, it might have been a different kind of turning point in the films, so it for me is a 'could have been iconic' moment (and it took me days to figure out how to word this and reply.)