Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi)

 

Datastream
Actor: Robert Davi
Character: Franz Sanchez
Movie: Licence To Kill
Date of Birth: 26 June 1951
Height: 6' 2" (1.88m)
Distinguishing Feature: Penchant for torture
Appearance: Dark hair and complexion with medium build. Maintains a very relaxed manner that quickly boils over into cruelty and anger
Status: Terminated
Organisations & Alliances: Dario, Milton Krest

Profile
Sanchez is a high-profile drug lord, on the run from the American CIA, DEA and even the British Secret Service, MI6. His overconfidence and fierce brutality makes Sanchez Bond's most brutal and unpredictable target yet. With an unrelenting demand for loyalty, this villainous drug baron dreams up the most shocking and gruesome deaths for associates who betray him. Sanchez is only safe in one place, south of the US border in the fear-built Latin American state of Isthmus. Down south, there is only one law: Sanchez's law. From his lavish Isthmus City office block, Sanchez negotiates with drug barons across the globe and plans highly sophisticated routes of drug transportation.

“Señor Bond, you got big cojones. You come here, to my place, without references, carrying a piece, throwing around a lot of money... but you should know something: nobody saw you come in, so nobody has to see you go out.”

Scheme
Hopping under the radar and into the Bahamas, Sanchez risks arrest and the authorities to catch up with his wayward girlfriend Lupe, who was forgiven, but he punishes her with his "corrector" - a whip made of sea spine and shark's teeth. Sanchez is caught by Leiter's buddies at the DEA (with a helping hand from 007), but orchestrates an escape by bribing Leiter's CIA partner, Killifer. After cutting short the marriage of Felix Leiter, raping and killing his wife and feeding Felix's legs to a shark explaining "it's nothing personal, it's purely business", Sanchez makes a break to South America.

 

Bond resigns from the British Secret Service in order to track down and assassinate the drug czar, exacting revenge for his friend Felix. Sanchez must work hastily to arrange his newest and biggest drug deal of his career, with franchisees paying up to $100 million for exclusive territory. With the CIA and a vengeful James Bond infiltrating his trusted circle, Sanchez assembles the dope order for the Asian dealers. All hell breaks loose when Bond's cover is blown and he sets alight millions of dollars worth of drugs.

I've Been Expecting You
James Bond and Sanchez come face to face in the penthouse office of the villain's Isthmus complex. Although Bond had been on the dope dealer's tail for several days he finally tracks him down in Isthmus City, under the pretence of a gun for hire.

"It is a wise man who knows when his luck is about to change"

Headquarters
Sanchez has outposts across the globe. From the Krest laboratory at Key West to the Isthmus City Casino and Hotel, Sanchez has invested in large and expansive headquarters across the globe, each set up to handle the various aspects of the drug lord's operations. Sanchez makes use of TV evangelism to sell his dope, and lives the high life on his profits. No matter where he's is based; Sanchez always operates in the luxury he is accustomed to.

 

Gadgets & Vehicles
At his disposal Sanchez has numerous tanker trucks for the covert transport of his dope as well as the luxury launch the "Wave Krest" for trading offshore.

Dress Code
Sanchez dresses comfortably and cleanly in casual shirt and slacks - often in dark shades of blue or black. His choice of outfit does extend to formal wear when dealing with the highest-profile clients, but does so only when the occasion calls.

Goodbye, Mr Bond
Sanchez: "You could have had everything!"
Bond [showing Sanchez the l ighter]: "Don't you want to know why?"

When it comes to the final showdown, Bond and Sanchez are almost killed by the runaway petrol tankers, but before Sanchez can deliver a final blow with his machete, Bond sets his the drug baron's kerosene-soaked cloths alight and the drugs baron suffers the same fate as his cocaine shipment - a fiery death.

Biography
Robert Davi was born in Queens, New York on June 28 in 1954 to Italian Americans Maria and Sal Davi. He grew up in this region, attending the local Catholic school, Seton Hall. His stature and rugged looks made him ideal for the film business when he picked up his first screen role in the TV series"Charlie's Angles". Davi starred in the 1978 episode "Mother Angle".

He went on to take up roles in various TV flicks and smalltime movies, including a couple of episodes of "St. Elsewhere", "The A-Team" in 1984 and of course 1989's Bond outing, "Licence To Kill".

Robert Davi's rise to stardom came to public light in roles such as Bailey Malone in 1996's "Profiler". This role has been met with much critical praise and confirmed him as a big name in the movie game. Since then he has worked on productions with Hollywood stars that include Marlon Brando and Clint Eastwood and has been tutored by high-profile directors, including: Steven Spielberg and Blake Edwards.