Sean Connery 1960 photo The Picturegoer
James Bond is dead. At least to millions of movie fans who associate only one man, Sean Connery, with the role of Ian Fleming’s secret agent 007. Continue reading
Quotes From Sean Connery About James Bond
Sean Connery and the women of Goldfinger
The most recent double oh seven Daniel Craig has talked about getting typecast as secret agent James Bond. Craig doesn’t seem to view typecasting as a problem. With the recent blockbuster opening of Spectre, the latest installment of the Bond series, Craig is probably laughing all the way to the bank if he has indeed been typecast.
With the man who played James Bond originally, it is hard to gauge what his true feelings are towards the character.
Sean Connery & the press – August 1965
Sean Connery has always been protective of his private life and after he gained worldwide fame playing James Bond, he developed a justifiable, deep suspicion of the fourth estate.
Connery has said he intensely dislikes intrusions by the press “Particularly, the critical personality profiles that run in magazines and newspapers. The actors utter these inanities, then go to some movie set and pose for pictures in some mock-up kitchen. The article will then read: ‘Here’s Sean Connery, a real homebody, frying eggs in his own kitchen.’ “
Because he had to answer the same insipid questions thousands of times, Connery, quickly built up a resentment around all the publicity surrounding James Bond and the Interchangeability of himself and the character.
Therein lies the complex love/hate relationship between Connery and the character that made him one of the world’s biggest movie stars.
The following quotes from Sean Connery about the character of James Bond were all made from 1963 -1972 when he was playing 007. The source is listed before the quote.
Sydney Morning Herald, 1963 –
After the first Bond film Dr. No was released:
“I’ll be honest with you. There’s not much of James Bond in me.”
“The only real difficulty I found in playing Bond was that I had to start from scratch. Nobody knew anything about him, after all. Not even Fleming. Does he have parents? Where does he come from? Nobody knows. But we played it for laughs, and people seem to feel it comes off quite well.”
“I’m grateful to the film for giving my career a lift like this, but I must be careful not to get too typed. I hope to make a completely different type of film.”
Elizabeth Trotta, Newsday, 1963-
On being similar to the Bond character –
“Yes, I do identify with him. I too enjoy drinking, women, eating the physical pleasure – smells and tastes living by my senses, being alive. And as far as Bond is concerned, he has no past.”
Anthony Carthew, New York Times, 1964 –
After Goldfinger completed filming.
“I don’t really suppose I’d like Bond if I met him. He’s not my kind of chap at all.”
“Bond makes his own rules, and that’s fine as long as you’re not plagued by doubts.” “But if you are—and most of us are—you’re sunk. That’s why Bond is so attractive to women. By their nature they’re indecisive, so a man who is absolutely sure comes as a godsend.” Continue reading
Batman’s Adam West Is One Of Many Actors Who Were Offered The Role Of Agent 007 James Bond, But Turned Down The Part
“The name’s West, Adam West”
There is a little of James Bond in every actor. That does not mean that every actor wants to play James Bond.
Bond is an expert in a wide range of subjects, an outstanding athlete and fighter, can drive any vehicle, land, air or sea and seems to have a way with the ladies. There are some critics who have complained that James Bond is a misogynist. If so, he has rarely used his “license to kill” on women. Out of 370 people Bond has killed on screen, only three have been women.
Recently while watching Diamonds Are Forever (1971), the extra features on the DVD mentioned that before Sean Connery agreed to return to the role of James Bond, several actors were considered to play 007 and some turned it down. The reasons varied, but I doubt that any of the actors regretted their decision.
The most surprising decline to me was Adam West who had brilliantly played the campy title role on Batman, ABC’s hit series which ran from 1966-1968. I can see how the producers considered him for the role, but I cannot imagine Adam West being James Bond. But then again neither could West and he was smart enough to pass on the part. On the other hand, some of the actors who turned down James Bond, I could see playing 007.
So here is a slideshow of just some of the actors who turned down the role of the world’s most famous secret agent.
A little more about Patrick McGoohan who had he accepted the role may have been the best actor to ever play the part. But it was not only the womanizing McGoohan objected to; he truly despised the character, calling Bond “contemptible and simplistic.”
McGoohan, a man of very strong ethics said in a 1960’s interview Continue reading