Over the years, many actors have portrayed the iconic cinematic character James Bond on screen. However, the first actor who brought the British secret service agent to the limelight was Sean Connery. The 1962 film Dr. No introduced Connery as the MI6 agent, popularly known as 007. The movie not only became the first cinematic adaptation of Ian Fleming’s spy novel series but also served as a breakout role for its leading star.
Although the James Bond actor was not a major star before he landed the lead role in Terence Young’s 1962 film, he still did not hesitate to present his conditions to accept the offer.
Sean Connery Had Some Conditions to Play James Bond
The list of potential actors to star as the leading man in the first movie adaptation of James Bond was quite long. Before Sean Connery officially landed the part in the 1962 film, everyone from the filmmakers to the author of the novel series, Ian Fleming, had a candidate to play James Bond.
However, the producers of Dr. No, Harry Saltzman, and Albert R. Broccoli eventually turned to Connery and offered him the lead role. “Broccoli called and said he had this Fleming film and thought I might fit the part,” Connery said during an interview.
After discussing the movie and his role with the producer, he admitted to being interested in starring in the movie. But he had some conditions. Firstly, the Rising Sun star demanded to include “some more humor into the story,” saying that he felt it was “essential.” Producer Albert R. Broccoli agreed to comply with his condition and asked him, “When can you test?”
However, Connery denied doing any sort of test for the movie and gave the producer an ultimatum, saying, “Sorry, but I’m not making tests. I’m well past that. Take it or leave it, but no test.” Broccoli accepted his conditions, which turned out to be a great decision as Dr. No became a massive hit, making $59.5 million against a $1 million budget.
Ian Fleming Did Not Want Sean Connery as James Bond
Over the years, James Bond has become one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, having several adaptations. While multiple actors have portrayed the character since his cinematic debut with the 1962 film, Sean Connery is still considered to be the greatest among them.
While the movie series and its leading star have gained worldwide recognition, the author of the original novel series did not intend the same. “I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened,” Ian Fleming said during an interview with the New Yorker.
The author has also been quite open about his disagreement with casting Connery as James Bond in Dr. No. He claimed that the actor did not fit his vision for James Bond. “He’s not what I envisioned of James Bond looks. I’m looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stuntman,” he said before he eventually saw his potential to play the role.
Dr. No is available on Prime Video.
Source: Some Kind of Hero
