Since the character’s inception on the big screen, Bond girls were a staple in most James Bond adaptations, until Casino Royale, as Daniel Craig refrained from using this term. But before Craig took the 007 gig and became the definitive modern James Bond, we had Pierce Brosnan as the charming British spy.
But unlike most Bond girls during the ’60s and ’70s, who were limited to being eye candy with ridiculous names, in Brosnan’s films, they defied those stereotypes. This was apparent in the character of Jinx Johnson, played by Halle Berry, who was even considered for her own spin-off film.
Halle Berry Was Closest to a Female James Bond in Die Another Day
Unlike Bond girls in the past, Halle Berry had no problem going toe to toe with Pierce Brosnan‘s British Spy in Die Another Day, as Bond producer Chris McGurk stressed (Entertainment Weekly):
She’s prominent in the film, too… She’s as close to a female Bond as has ever been written into the series.
Moreover, considering she was coming straight off Monster’s Ball‘s success, which earned her an Oscar win, a Bond spin-off starring her character was once in the conversation.
While she revealed that her character in the spin-off would’ve borrowed elements from the British spy, especially his humor, as a whole, the character would’ve stood on its own.
She said:
I’ve been talking to the writers about it, and they had a great idea for who she is and where she comes from, and I think it won’t be like Bond. I think we’ll have elements of that humor Bond has. But it won’t be as tongue-in-cheek.
However, the plans never took off, and Berry speculated the idea of a Bond spin-off starring a “Black female action star” might’ve been too ahead of its time.
Halle Berry Was Excited to Be a Part of Film History With Die Another Day
Considering Berry was already huge before landing the role of Jinx, the X-Men star didn’t even have to engage in an audition for Die Another Day. Berry expressed that she was excited to be a part of film history and play a version of Bond Girl, which was a far cry from what had come before and was as prominent to the film as Bond himself.
She said (Vanity Fair):
I was really excited about Bond because that’s a franchise that’s iconic. It’s a part of film history, really, so to be a part of that franchise was very meaningful to me. And this version of a Bond woman was very different than any Bond woman I had seen before. When Barbara Broccoli came to me with the role, she explained that I would get to be a different kind – a new kind – of Bond girl. Which would allow me to be more active and sort of be… working alongside Bond in a new way, and that really excited me.
Berry’s portrayal of Jinx paved the path for stronger female characters in the franchise, including Lashana Lynch’s Nomi, who took the iconic mantle of 007 after Bond’s death in No Time to Die.
Die Another Day is available to stream on Max.
