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Archive-name: james-bond/FAQ
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Last-modified: 2003/09/05
Version: 6.07
URL: http://www.ianfleming.org/mkkbb/afjbfaq/
Copyright: (c) 2003 P. Michael Reed
Maintainer: Michael Reed
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ALT.FAN.JAMES-BOND FAQ
Version 6.07
Last Updated September 5, 2003 / Created September 18, 1996
Maintained by Michael Reed
Based on the work by the original creators
Panos Sambrakos, Bryan Krofchok, David C. Morefield,
Deane Barker & James Rumley
Special thanks to Mac for multiple submissions
Submissions by others credited where noted
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NOTE – You should use a MONOSPACED typeface setting to read this FAQ, so the
lists contained in it will line up properly.
UPDATE(S) –
Brief #2 Section 9 - Blofeld's voice in Thunderball
Many text and grammar corrections throughout
Reformatted the document
Brief #1 – THE NEWSGROUP AND ITS FOCUS
1 – This Newsgroup
2 – Other Bond Newsgroups
3 – The FAQ
4 – The Character of James Bond
Brief #2 – THE FILMS
1 – The latest James Bond film
2 – EON & its trademarks
3 – List of EON's James Bond films
4 – List of other James Bond films
5 – The actors who have played James Bond
6 – The actors who could have played James Bond
7 – The actors who have played Felix Leiter
8 – Repeat offenders
9 – Over dubbing
10 – Specific films FAQ
A – Casino Royale – the television episode
B – Casino Royale – the movie
C – Dr. No / Live And Let Die
D – From Russia With Love
E - Goldfinger
F – Thunderball / Never Say Never Again
G – On Her Majesty's Secret Service
H – Diamonds Are Forever
I – For Your Eyes Only
J - Octopussy
K – Licence To Kill
L – Tomorrow Never Dies
M – Die Another Day
11 – List of theme songs & artists
12 – Soundtracks & scores
13 – Bond meets an Oscar
14 – What's in a name?
Brief #3 – THE BOOKS
1 – The latest James Bond novel
2 – Ian Fleming
A – List of Ian Fleming novels
B – Stories to read in order
C – Who wrote The Spy Who Loved Me?
D – The Kennedy myth
E – SMERSH
F – SPECTRE
G – Does Bond die in From Russia With Love?
3 – Post-Fleming periods
A – Kingsley Amis' novel
B – List of the John Gardner novels
1 – Stories to read in order
C – List of the Raymond Benson novels
1 – Stories to read in order
D – Other Glidrose novels featuring Bond
E – Reference books
4 – Fan fiction
Brief #4 – WHEN BOOK AND FILM INTERSECT
1 – Films and books – links or broken links?
2 – Explain the names "M" & "Q"
3 – What other "00" agents are mentioned?
4 – The Walther and other machinations
5 – Bright Leiter
Brief #5 – MORE SOURCES ON JAMES BOND
1 – The websites
2 – The fan clubs
Your mission is to send in any corrections, questions or comments directly
to the FAQ maintainer at reed55@core.com .
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BRIEF #1 – THE NEWSGROUP AND ITS FOCUS
If you are checking out the newsgroup, welcome. This is the official FAQ for
alt.fan.james-bond.
1 – This Newsgroup
Anything regarding James Bond is a valid topic here, including films and
books, spoofs, actors, filmmakers and authors, collectibles, music, and on
and on. The newsgroup has been the place for finding Bond information since
1992. As a result, you will find many of the denizens here have been
acquainted for a while and have knowledge from the effortless to the arcane.
Do not be put off by this.
Being a non-moderated newsgroup, the only way to fail to ingratiate yourself
is to troll or further trolling behavior, ask for everyone's "favorite" this
or that or to fail to check out this FAQ for the simple questions contained
herein. The FAQ does not aim to answer anything except FREQUENTLY asked
questions. So if it is in here it has been asked before, repeatedly.
2- Other Bond Newsgroups
alt.fan.james-bond is NOT a binaries newsgroup and you should not post large
binary files. If you want multimedia files look for alt.binaries.james-bond,
which is the place to find them. If your news server does not carry it you
might suggest to them to start doing so.
3 – The FAQ
David Marsh wrote version 1.0 of the FAQ in November 1994. From there, it
became the purview of Panos Sambrakos and the others listed at the top of
the document starting December 18, 1996. They maintained it until version
5.0 was released October 13, 2000. Starting with version 2.2, the FAQ has
carried the status of an "official" Internet FAQ. You are reading an
original work based upon the previous incarnations.
It is crossposted to the news.answers and alt.answers newsgroups and it is
being archived at many places around the net. Look for it at:
You can also get it by email by sending a message to:
and writing in the body:
"send usenet/news.answers/james-bond/FAQ"
The FAQ also has it's own place on the Web, as part of "MR. KISS KISS BANG
BANG!" Visit and you will also find a web-only
supplement full of even more 007 information than is presented here. It can
be found at
4 – The character of James Bond
James Bond is a fictional British secret agent. He holds the "double-o"
prefix, which gives him a licence to kill in the course of his duties for
MI6. He first appeared in novel form in 1953, created by author Ian Fleming.
More information regarding Fleming and the books can be found in Brief #3,
Sections #2 and #2A.
Fleming based James Bond on an amalgamation of people he knew while in the
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, along with some of the exploits Fleming
wanted to participate in himself. Fleming never got to spend much time in
the field and unlike his creation's affinity for high stakes gambling,
Fleming typically played for small change.
The name of his handiwork came to pass by simple observation. His wife
enjoyed a coffee table book entitled "Field Guide To Birds Of The West
Indies". Fleming wanted a simple, straightforward name for his workmanlike
agent. He saw the author of that book was an ornithologist named James Bond
and borrowed it. His character has no middle name. He later told the real
James Bond that should a particularly foul species of bird be discovered, he
would graciously lend his name to it. The Bond film "Die Another Day"
features the actual book and the agent posing as the ornithologist.
He chose the "00" designation after a real life occurrence. During his
Whitehall tenure he pursued secret documents prefixed with "00". (Submitted
by Rhino )
BRIEF #2 – THE FILMS
While Ian Fleming's creation began as a pulp fiction hero, there can be no
denying that it has been the big screen that has made James Bond among the
most recognizable characters in history. The films rank among the most
profitable and longest running for any series, and have made far more
adventures for fans than any other in the last half-century.
1 – The latest James Bond film
"Die Another Day" was released November 22, 2002, the twentieth EON release.
It opened with the largest box office receipts, not adjusted for inflation,
of any Bond film, and is the biggest money maker to date.
It bears repeating, you should NEVER expect to see Sean Connery, Roger
Moore, or any previous leading man make a return appearance as a villain,
family member or assistant to 007. Check 007News
for further updates.
At this time it appears Pierce Brosnan should return for a fifth (and likely
final) turn as Bond. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
2 – EON and its trademarks
EON Productions, Ltd., is the maker of James Bond films, dating back to the
first silver screen effort in 1962. EON is supposedly an acronym of
"everything or nothing". Producers Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry
Saltzman formed the company in 1961. Saltzman sold out his shares in 1975,
and passed on in 1994. Broccoli died in 1996 and Barbara Broccoli and
Michael G. Wilson, daughter and stepson to Cubby, now run EON. While
Broccoli was American and Saltzman Canadian EON is considered a European
company since it is a subsidiary of Danjaq, S.A., and EON is a British-based
outfit. Danjaq is a contraction of DANa Broccoli and JAcQueline Saltzman,
wives of the founding producers.
As you will read in a bit, EON has not made every Bond film. But they have
created the trademarks closely associated with Bond and have complete
control over future Bond films.
Among the trademarks are the distinctive James Bond theme song, to be
documented in Brief #2, Section #11 A "The James Bond Theme Debate", and the
gun-barrel image opening every film. Please note it is not a camera shutter
or gun-sight, but a gun-barrel. Maurice Binder, who designed the majority of
the title sequences in the movies, also created the opening sequence,
initially using a real gun-barrel opened to allow a camera to peer through,
with a gun from a Piccadilly shop.
The sequence has been filmed a few times. The first one was in the first
film, "Dr. No". However, it is not Sean Connery who turns and fires. Working
in a hurry, Binder used Connery's stunt double Bob Simmons. After that, the
actor portraying Bond did his own firing. Here is the list of gun barrel
sequences.
"Dr. No" – the original, with stuntman Bob Simmons doubling for Connery
"Thunderball" – featuring Connery, shot in scope format like the film
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" – George Lazenby, dropping to one knee
"Live And Let Die" – Roger Moore, for the first time
"The Spy Who Loved Me" – Moore again, and again re-shot in scope
"The Living Daylights" – Timothy Dalton's turn
"GoldenEye" – Pierce Brosnan's debut, using a computer generated gun-barrel
image by Daniel Kleinman, who took over following Binder's death
For final proof to naysayers, watch the opening of "GoldenEye"'s credits as
the theme song begins. The bullet is shown exiting the gun barrel.
While it appears that the shot of the actor is the same, "Die Another Day"
features a bullet from Bond's Walther going through the barrel.
3 – List of EON's James Bond films
Here is the chronological list of EON's James Bond films. Note that the
release year of "Dr. No" shown below is for England; the film debuted in the
U.S.A. in 1963.
TITLE YEAR STAR TIME ACRONYM
----- ---- ---- ---- -------
Dr. No 1962 Sean Connery 111 DN
From Russia With Love 1963 Sean Connery 118 FRWL
Goldfinger 1964 Sean Connery 111 GF
Thunderball 1965 Sean Connery 129 TB
You Only Live Twice 1967 Sean Connery 116 YOLT
On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969 George Lazenby 140 OHMSS
Diamonds Are Forever 1971 Sean Connery 119 DAF
Live And Let Die 1973 Roger Moore 121 LALD
The Man with the Golden Gun 1974 Roger Moore 125 TMWTGG
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Roger Moore 125 TSWLM
Moonraker 1979 Roger Moore 126 MR
For Your Eyes Only 1981 Roger Moore 127 FYEO
Octopussy 1983 Roger Moore 130 OP
A View to a Kill 1985 Roger Moore 131 AVTAK
The Living Daylights 1987 Timothy Dalton 130 TLD
Licence to Kill 1989 Timothy Dalton 135 LTK
GoldenEye 1995 Pierce Brosnan 130 GE
Tomorrow Never Dies 1997 Pierce Brosnan 119 TND
The World Is Not Enough 1999 Pierce Brosnan 128 TWINE
Die Another Day 2002 Pierce Brosnan 132 DAD
Posters in the newsgroup use the acronyms in the above list VERY FREQUENTLY.
You should become familiar with them quickly.
4 – List of other James Bond films
Some of the films featuring James Bond were made apart from EON. For an
answer why, go to Brief #1, Section #10 and select the appropriate film.
Here are the films in order of release date.
TITLE YEAR STAR TIME ACRONYM
----- ---- ---- ---- -------
Casino Royale 1954 Barry Nelson 60 CRTV
Casino Royale 1967 David Niven 130 CR
Never Say Never Again 1983 Sean Connery 137 NSNA
5 – The actors who have played James Bond
A few talented men have gotten to portray James Bond. We start with the EON
five, and then the others as well. Note that Roger Moore is older than Sean
Connery.
A – Sean Connery, born August 25, 1930. Played Bond from 1962-1967, 1971,
1983.
A Scot with minimal credits to his name in 1962, he was handpicked by
Broccoli and Saltzman to star in the first Bond motion picture. There is
less dialogue for Connery than in future turns, and his name was not
marketed particularly heavily in the release of either of the first two
films. But Connery proved to be the perfect person to assimilate Fleming's
cold warrior on screen. He was tough yet suave, strong yet smooth, and able
to appeal to both ticket buying genders.
By the time of his fifth outing, "You Only Live Twice", the marketing
machine said he "IS James Bond". While true in the public's mind, Connery
tired of the constant pressure of the role and the potential to suffocate
any other projects he wanted to be involved in. He left after 1967 and
declined to appear in the sixth release. After a lackluster box office
performance, EON prodded and finally got their star back for the seventh
outing, "Diamonds Are Forever". Then Connery left once more, stating he
would "never again" portray the superspy that he had made a phenomenon. But
he did come back for a reprise, in 1983's "Never Say Never Again". For the
story on that film, see Brief #1, Section #10, E "Thunderball / Never Say
Never Again".
Connery has said in interviews that he is proudest of "From Russia With
Love". However, he made a severe and nasty break from the Broccoli clan and
any thought of him returning to the EON series in any capacity is a pipe
dream. Connery won an Academy Award for his supporting role in 1987's "The
Untouchables". He is still an A-list box office draw to date and is also
staunch in his support of his native Scotland. While he did not look like
Ian Fleming's written character on the surface, he was impressive enough to
earn the ultimate praise. Fleming himself had his character assume some of
Connery's roots in "You Only Live Twice". He told IMBD.com in 2002 that
there is no chance of him returning to EON's series, particularly not as a
villain. "Absolutely no way - I could never be an enemy of James Bond."
B – George Lazenby, born September 5, 1939. Played Bond in 1969.
The only Bond star to make a solitary film appearance, George Lazenby won
the role after a worldwide search. He was actually an Australian wrestler,
car salesman and model who excelled in physical presence and impressed the
producers. But he was not prepared for the glimmer of fame and fortune that
came with the part.
He was cast in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", one of Fleming's most
detailed and harrowing novels. It required more characterization than the
typical Bond fare and Lazenby faced an uphill battle to achieve it. Director
Peter Hunt ignored him at one point, though it was an unwitting mistake.
During filming of some emotional scenes, Hunt wanted his star to relate to
the isolation Bond would be feeling so he left him alone. Lazenby did not
take this as direction or method of acting, but rather a lack of respect by
the director. He complained publicly and friction grew between the men,
which was duly noted by the press.
He also had trouble with female lead Diana Rigg. The most famous example of
tension between them, however, is actually a myth. Before a kissing scene,
Rigg was heard telling Lazenby at lunch that she was having "garlic with
[her] pate." She meant it to be humorous but it was easily taken
out-of-context given Lazenby's tenuous relationship with Hunt and EON. While
in later years he did complain about Rigg's ego, the Bond actor never
validated this story.
What did him in, in the end, was as much box-office failure as his own
immaturity. The fans were being exposed to a new leading actor who had
burned bridges with Broccoli and Saltzman before the film was in release. It
would have been a hard sell following Connery in the best of circumstances.
With EON trying its best to hide his face in the nominal promotion they did
for the film, not to mention the script's deviation from the usual Bond
formula, Lazenby was ill fated. Critics and fans at the time were quick to
place the blame squarely on the actor and EON was quick to publicly agree
with that assessment. They seemed to disregard the film for years afterward.
His own career was spotty at best after his big break. Lazenby appeared in
"The Kentucky Fried Movie" and spoofed the Bond image in, among other
things, the TV movie "Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. " and the CD-ROM
game, "Spy Hunt". In time, many Bond fans would come to regard "On Her
Majesty's Secret Service" as a high point in the series.
C – Roger Moore, born October 14, 1927. Played Bond from 1973-1985.
Already an established personality via television's "The Saint" and "The
Persuaders", Roger Moore stepped into the role at a time when the series was
facing a crisis. Connery had left for a second time, after a successful
commercial entry. EON knew that they had to avoid the difficult sequence of
events when Lazenby was hired. So for the first time they did not look at
unknown actors and hired Moore, who had been approached for the role earlier
in his career. Evidence suggests that he was an initial consideration for
the first Bond film. It is endlessly speculative to suggest what would have
happened had he landed the role.
Be that as it may, he instead saw Sean Connery become a household figure and
wanted no part of replacing him in 1969. But after 1971 he was willing to
give it a go.
It is odd that so many things in his debut, 1973's "Live And Let Die", stood
in stark contrast to the previous entries in the series. It featured a new
composer for the first time in ten years and the first rock 'n' roll theme
song. Combined with focusing on Moore as an attractive leading man, EON
seemed to market Bond as a youthful icon. While kids from ten years before
had loved Connery, it cannot be said that the films were aimed at that
teenaged audience. Yet it was clear that demographic was of utmost
importance by the 1970's.
Moore came into his own with his third entry, "The Spy Who Loved Me". He
would start squawking about retirement as early as 1979. He meant it firmly
in 1983 but still cam back for a final swan song in 1985. By then no one
could hide from three obvious conclusions. First, that Moore had aged so
much as to be unbelievable in the role. Two, that his lighthearted approach
had made Bond accessible to a large audience but had made him closer to a
comic book hero than a serious role. And three, that despite both of the
previous points, Moore cast a large shadow that EON would have a tough time
trying to fill.
D – Timothy Dalton, born March 21, 1946. Played Bond on screen in
1987-1989, and stayed with the role publicly until 1994.
Timothy Dalton earned the role of Bond only after Pierce Brosnan was
prevented from taking the reins from Moore due to a contract conflict with
the NBC television show "Remington Steele". It was Dalton's second time
approaching the role. He wanted no part of it in 1971, saying in a 1987
interview on "Good Morning America" (and elsewhere) that he turned it down
because he was "too young" for it and because of the imposing legacy of
Connery.
His first outing was "The Living Daylights". The script, originally written
with Moore's character in mind and tweaked slightly for what would have been
Brosnan's approach, was adjusted noticeably for Dalton. The film was a bit
more serious in tone and viewers could not help but compare Dalton's
physicality and attempt to restructure the character in comparison to Moore,
19 years his senior. The next film, "Licence To Kill", was written for
Dalton's strengths as an actor.
He had indeed read the Fleming novels, and wanted to use them as a backdrop
for his interpretation of Bond. The film enjoyed huge popularity across the
world - except in the USA. The MGM/UA advertising campaign, easily the
weakest for a Bond film, was a result of the studio wrestling with huge
legal and financial troubles and helped doom the film in the midst of a very
competitive box office season.
Nonetheless, plans proceeded for Bond 17 with Timothy Dalton still signed on
for that film and at least one more. But a series of events cropped up that
estranged EON from its studio, the most notable being the selling of
television rights of the EON series.
When at last these issues were resolved and work resumed on Bond 17
(eventually known as "GoldenEye"), Dalton surprised many by announcing he
would NOT return as Bond. The public, he said, had associated him with the
role for eight years, and that was long enough for him. He was eager to move
on to new challenges. He left the 007 family in the spring of 1994.
Cubby Broccoli and his daughter Barbara stated many times that they were
disappointed to lose Dalton. The official account endorsed by Dalton, EON,
and MGM/UA, is that Dalton left the series of his own accord. Dalton remains
a friend of the Broccoli family and spoke kindly of Cubby when he died.
There is credible evidence to suggest that by 1994 the powers that be inside
MGM/UA made it clear that they would not support a new Bond film starring
Dalton but as of yet the smoking gun has yet to uncovered for ballistic
testing.
E – Pierce Brosnan, born May 16, 1953. Began in 1995, and is the current
star of the franchise.
In the end, it was a great thing that Pierce Brosnan had to wait to secure
the role of the world's most famous secret agent. By the time he was
introduced, Brosnan looked the part and was truly hungry to succeed. By
replacing Dalton instead of Moore, he was able to avoid either following
Moore's lighthearted lead or be compared in reaction to it.
Dalton pleased hardcore Fleming fans with his darker, more realistic
portrayal of Bond. But the fans of Moore's approach were never as smitten
with him. Brosnan has proven to surprise both camps. He has played Bond
straight but with verve. And Brosnan has that X factor. He has embodied the
same charisma that Connery had once brought into the role. He has made Bond
"cool" to the masses once again. He has been able to handle the publicity
and the expectations with panache. Best of all, he has won over the majority
of critics and fans alike.
Brosnan has indicated he is interested in doing a fifth, and final, turn as
James Bond, following the 2002 release of "Die Another Day". As of now, EON
is NOT SEEKING A NEW BOND. Any speculation at this time is not only
premature, but also wholly false.
F – Barry Nelson, born April 16, 1920. Played Bond in 1954.
American born Nelson was the first actor to portray James Bond. In was not,
however, a theatrical release. Instead in was on episodic television. See
Brief #2, Section #10, A "Casino Royale – the television episode"
G – David Niven, born March 1, 1910. Played Bond in 1967.
A film star from features like "The Guns Of Navarone", "Bonjour Tristesse"
and "The Pink Panther", David Niven was cast in the Bond spoof "Casino
Royale". For details about it, go to Brief #2, Section #10, B "Casino
Royale – the movie". The Scot actor, who usually answered to English when
abroad, died in 1983 of ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease).
6 – The actors who could have played James Bond
Besides the men listed above many others have tried out for the role of 007.
Here are some of the notable ones.
A – John Gavin – The American Gavin actually signed a contract with EON to
be the new James Bond in 1970, after the George Lazenby implosion. However
it was no secret that EON coveted Sean Connery. When they lured him back
with a promise to produce and star in two films and a hefty one million-plus
salary that was mostly used to co-find the Scottish Education Trust, Gavin
politely stepped aside. The actor, who can be seen in "Psycho" and
"Spartacus", went on to be a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico during the Reagan
administration.
B – James Brolin – It is well documented that Brolin, best known now as
Barbra Streisand's other half, screen tested opposite Maud Adams before
Moore agreed to return to "Octopussy".
What is lesser know is Brolin's claim that he was actually, like Gavin,
signed to a contract. He told Bond enthusiast Richard Ashton in 1998 that he
was hired by Cubby Broccoli and had searched from a home in London at the
time. He also commented about his American accent by suggesting that
Broccoli did not intend to hide it and hoped audiences would see Brolin's
physical presence and ignore the issue. Eventually Moore returned and Brolin
was left aside. (Submitted by Richard Ashton )
C – Julian Glover – Glover auditioned for the role after the franchise
needed a replacement for Connery, according to a Starlog Magazine interview
in 1981. But he was not surprised when Roger Moore snagged the lead in "Live
And Let Die" because "we all knew Roger would get it. " Glover did make a
mark with the series, playing villain Ari Kristatos in "For Your Eyes Only".
D – Sam Neill – Screen tested in 1986 after negotiations collapsed with
Pierce Brosnan, Neill was a strong contender, even getting a public mention
of contention by "The Living Daylights" casting director. The role would end
up going to Timothy Dalton. Neill is now best identified for his star turn
in "Jurassic Park".
E – Lewis Collins – Having screen tested in the early eighties, Collins
was a favorite of the British press. He starred in the television series,
"The Professionals".
F – David Warbeck - According to interviews the late actor gave for "David
Warbeck: The Man and His Movies", he was under contract to EON throughout
the late seventies and early eighties, prepared to assume the role of 007
should Roger Moore have packed his bags.
G – Michael Billington – Billington screen tested for the starring role in
"Live And Let Die". While he was passed over then he did portray Sergei
Barsov, the Russian agent and lover of "Triple X", Major Anya Amasova, who
was killed by Bond's ski pole before 007 made his parachute leap in the
teaser of "The Spy Who Loved Me". He is best known for his role on the cult
favorite TV show "UFO".
H – Patrick McGoohan – McGoohan's credits include two television spies –
"The Prisoner" and "Danger Man" (a.k.a. "Secret Agent Man"). He could have
made a mark in the genre earlier but he did not want the lead role in "Dr.
No" due to "moral reasons." Whether or not he would have actually been given
the role if desired is in question.
He was actually offered the role at least twice, according to some sources,
including interviews with the actor himself. One reason given was his
choice of not appearing in a work he would not let his daughters watch.
(Submitted by Malus )
I – Stewart Granger – Never a real shot with EON, it is noted here because
Granger was one of a few preferences by Ian Fleming himself. Granger's real
name was James Stewart, not to be confused with the American actor famous
for "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Philadelphia Story". When Fleming
listed "James Stewart" on his list, he meant Granger, who starred in "King
Solomon's Mines" and director Terence Young's "Woman Hater".
7 – The actors who have played Felix Leiter
Many of the films have featured CIA Agent Felix Leiter, Bond's American
counterpart. While the character remained the same the role was always being
recast. It was not supposed to be that way.
A – Jack Lord in "Dr. No" – The handsome actor, later to star in "Hawaii
Five-O", created the role of Leiter in the first Bond movie. He was supposed
to return in "Goldfinger". But Lord did not want a similar deal. He asked
for a huge salary in line with Connery's and a percentage of the profits.
EON turned down his counteroffer.
B – Cec Linder in "Goldfinger" – The aged actor was supposed to play Mr.
Simmons, the bamboozled car player. But EON asked actor Austin Willis and
Linder to switch roles. Linder got more screen time but was as far from both
Lord's portrayal and Fleming's vision as possible. This ensured that whoever
played Leiter would never again try to make demands for salary and rights.
C – Rik Van Nutter in "Thunderball" – By now, EON played "spot-the-Felix"
with fans. Van Nutter looked liked Fleming's description even if the
screenplay did not do his character justice.
According to the "Thunderball" laserdisc commentary, Rik Van Nutter agreed
to a contract for the recurring role of Leiter, and even moved to London
after "Thunderball" was completed. Alas, there was no part for him in "You
Only Live Twice", or "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". By the time Connery
returned in 1971, Van Nutter had moved on. (Submitted by Tom Zielinski
)
D – Norman Burton in "Diamonds Are Forever" - Burton played Leiter as a
curmudgeon, making the agent seem less than excited to work with his old
friend once more.
E – David Hedison in "Live And Let Die" and "Licence To Kill" – The only
actor to play Felix twice, though not consecutively, Hedison went sixteen
years between his appearances. While his Leiter and Bond are contemporaries
in his first shot, Hedison is given much more screen time in "Licence To
Kill" as an older man than Bond, given Hedison's age difference with Dalton.
While it is only supposition that it was intentional, note which films
Hedison appeared in. In the book "Live And Let Die" Leiter was fed to a
shark at the hands of a villain, but this did not happen on screen. When
EON decided to film this as the basis of the plot of "Licence To Kill" it
was Hedison who got to do the scene passed over originally.
F – John Terry in "The Living Daylights" – After Hedison's role in 1973,
Leiter went dormant in EON films until 1986, when Terry showed up. He did
not have a large role, but longtime fans felt comfort in once again hearing
from Bond's opposite number.
G – Bernie Casey in "Never Say Never Again" – At least this time it was
truly hard for viewers to "spot-the-Felix" with Casey cast as Leiter. The
black actor and former pro football player portrayed the CIA man as a friend
of Bond's and Casey and Connery expressed it well.
8 – Repeat offenders
Too extensive to list every example here, is it easy to spot actors playing
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