The James Bond franchise has attained cult status mainly due to its suave and dashing protagonist who has been portrayed by various actors across generations, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig. But none of these films would have been what they were without the mesmerizing beauty of the Bond girl who has provided the glamor quotient in plenty.
From Ursula Andress to stars like Jane Seymour, Halle Berry, Teri Hatcher, and Léa Seydoux, these actors have provided a lot of sizzle to the narratives over the years. While most of these stars took on the role in their 20s, Italian beauty Monica Bellucci made her Bond girl debut in her 50s in Spectre, thereby being the oldest actor to portray the part. Interestingly, Bellucci was pursued for the role long before Craig took over in 2006.
Monica Bellucci’s Tryst With The James Bond Franchise Could Have Begun A Lot Earlier
Apart from the slick action that defines a James Bond film, the sizzling chemistry between the spy and his love interest, aka the Bond girl, is synonymous with the franchise’s appeal across the world. Over the years, many beautiful stars have embodied this role and became recognizable faces thanks to their charismatic presence.
In 2015, Italian actor Monica Bellucci entered the franchise as the oldest star at age 51 to essay the Bond girl role in Spectre. The stunning model-turned-actor played Lucia Sciarra, the wife of a dangerous assassin that Daniel Craig’s James Bond is after. Bellucci’s chemistry with Craig in the movie was one of the highlights of the film.
Interestingly, The Apartment star’s legacy with the franchise could have commenced much earlier, even before the Craig era had begun. In the book Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films (via Slash Film), producer Barbara Broccoli revealed that Bellucci was pursued by the franchise’s long-standing production company Eon for a long time.
The celebrity was screen-tested for the role of Paris Carver in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies starring Pierce Brosnan which made $339 million at the box office. This part ultimately went to Teri Hatcher. It was also reported that Brosnan himself was very keen to have Bellucci on board for this film. However, for reasons that are unknown, this collaboration did not go through.
While Bond girls traditionally have been played by younger women in their 20s despite the 007 actors being much older, Bellucci was only the 3rd actor who was actually older than the male lead. In 1963, Honor Blackman, who starred in Goldfinger, was 5 years older to Sean Connery who was 34 years old. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond actor George Lazenby was a year younger to Diana Rigg.
How Monica Bellucci Redefined The Bond ‘Girl’ Image
In 2015, Monica Bellucci became the oldest actor to play a Bond girl at 51 years old, when she was paired opposite Daniel Craig in Sam Mendes’ Spectre. Having being pursued for the part much before this film, Bellucci finally accepted the role and in her unique way, proved that the stereotype of younger women playing this part was erased.
But when she was initially approached by Mendes for the key character of Lucia Sciarra, the Italian beauty was skeptical about how her casting would be viewed owing to her age. But after hearing the director’s reason behind wanting this significant change in the Bond girl image (via Slash Film), she immediately got on board.
My first thought was, ‘How can I be a Bond girl at fifty?’ After my audition, Sam Mendes told me that, for the first time in history, he wanted a woman of a similar age to the actor playing Bond … I’d prefer to be called a Bond Woman or perhaps a Bond Lady.
Not only did Bellucci share excellent chemistry with Craig in the film, she also proved that age is just a number with her sensual and intense performance. Needless to say, the celebrity had men from all over the world swooning over her beauty and aura.
Spectre is streaming on Amazon Prime.
