James Bond has to be a man who makes heads turn. Knock-out handsome like Connery, Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan. But handsome alone is not enough; the actor has to have the Bond Look. The Look has to convey authority, arrogance, irony, a hint of cruelty. He has to be physically fit. He has to wear clothes with savoir faire (what "Entertainment Weekly" called "tux-ability"). His face has to have the character that comes from age and experience; he can't be a young puppy and still be Bond.

Bruce Payne has the Look. Handsome in a manly way, with strong, sculptured features, a magnificent nose and strong jaw that give him a commanding profile, and an athletic physique that is neither skinny nor brawny, he exudes authority and intense male energy. His face has just enough lines to add character without detracting from his handsome appeal. With the requisite height (6 ft), weight, age, and blue-grey eyes, Bruce fits virtually every aspect of the Fleming description of Bond.

Bond's face is described as handsome but cold and ironical. In the films, he is allowed to show warmth, but his typical look is a casual, charming arrogance with a trace of irony. Charming arrogance is one of Bruce's fortes. In films such as "Highlander: Endgame," "Warlock III," and "One Man's Justice," his villains are cold, arrogant, and ironic, yet charming in a creepy sort of way. In "Smart Money," a very different role, he comes off as arrogant, charming and sexy all at the same time, just as Bond does. There's even a hint of the "cruel mouth" that Fleming describes for Bond in the curled lip that Bruce can turn so easily into a derisive sneer.

That arrogance is not just conveyed through his expressions and stance but through Bruce's eyes as well. This is a man who can act with his eyes alone, as he did as Echo in "Wonderland," a role with no spoken words. His piercing cold blue-grey eyes, both menacing and self-assured as the assassin, were so scary that no words were necessary. As the terrorist in "Passenger 57," his fierce glare is withering and heart-stopping. Yet his highly expressive eyes can just as easily convey desire, as Frankie in "Kounterfeit"; determined courage, as Jurgen in "La Femme Nikita"; or kindness and warmth, as Dr. Burton in "Silence Like Glass."

But there's more than mere arrogance to the Bond look. It's an arrogance borne out of self-assurance, not conceit. He knows he's good and he is. There's not a movie that Bruce has made where he didn't radiate such self-assurance--from the computer genius in "Smart Money" to the tough club manager in "Kounterfeit"; from the heroic pilot in "Operation Intercept" to the archvillain in "Highlander: Endgame." Even when he plays the psychologically tortured teacher in "Ripper," we can't imagine him as a loser.

There's an aura of mystery about Bond too. As secret operative Jurgen in "La Femme Nikita," the role closest to Bond, Bruce has been described as "always looking as though he knows something that he's not letting on, which of course he does. Perfect for a spy role."

Physical fitness is another crucial part of the Bond mystique. Bond has to be in top physical condition to knock the stuffing out of all those bad guys, excel at martial arts , hang off of and dive out of airplanes, ski, SCUBA dive, and survive exquisite tortures. No problem for Bruce as he actually is a martial arts practitioner and is certified in skydiving and SCUBA. He is such a dedicated athlete that he often does his own stunts.When he appears in a scene shirtless, the women stare in appreciation and the men look on in admiration, as in scenes in "Ripper," "Wonderland," "Full Eclipse," and "La Femme Nikita."

Clothes are another integral part of the Bond Look. Bond, it has been said, lives in the details. A sharp dresser with great savoir faire, Bond looks equally at home in a Savile Row suit, a tuxedo, or causal sports clothes. EW calls it "tux-ability." Pictures don't lie; Bruce knows how to wear a tuxedo, as the delectable photo from "Smart Money" shows. With his broad muscular shoulders and confident stance, Bruce would look sharp in any outfit. His films have, in fact, allowed him to show off his masculine physique in a delicious array of sensational clothing--from the blue pin stripe suit in "Never Say Never Mind" to the black leather coat and pants in "Warlock III"; from the stylish suit in "Riders" to the breathtaking armor in "Dungeons and Dragons."

The proof is in the photos. Bruce does indeed have the Look that makes women shiver and men tremble.