James Bond

Timothy Dalton was in the frame for the role after Sean Connery made his first disappearance from the part, but at the age of 22 he himself felt that he was too young for the role.

Never has there been so much public opposition to the casting of James Bond. When Daniel Craig was announced, the fans went on the offensive, usually via the internet.

The longest running James Bond, setting a record that is unlikely to ever be broken, Moore appeared in a total of seven films from the early seventies to the mid eighties, bringing a suave sophistication to the super spy and steering the franchise in a new direction for a new decade.

Sean Connery’s very public disassociation from the role he had created left as gap that the world couldn’t wait to see who would fill. The honour fell to unknown Australian George Lazenby who won the part because he punched a stuntman by mistake, impressing the producers with this mistimed show of aggression.

If Patrick McGoohan hadn’t turned down the role of James Bond, then Sean Connery’s life would have been very different. He would never have been voted “The sexiest man alive” nor “The greatest living Scotsman”, let alone “The thinking woman’s golfer” (Okay, we made that one up).