There has been much talk about the chance of a female James Bond over the years – with some film fans upset about the idea – but it appears the spy was nearly the opposite gender at first.
Sir Sean Connery was the first to play the role and appeared as 007 in seven films between 1962 and 1983, starting with Dr No.
The late star is remembered as one of the most beloved versions of the super spy, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953, but it has now been suggested that actress Susan Hayward was initially considered for the part.
In a new book, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man – which was released today – Nicholas Shakespeare explored the history of the author and how his spy became one of the most famous characters in movie history.
According to the book, via IndieWire, producer Gregory Ratoff originally bought the original rights to the franchise, and was hoping to cast the Oscar-winner in the lead role.
“Since the mid-1950s, many well-known actors had been approached,’ Shakespeare wrote. ‘Gregory Ratoff had the striking idea of having Bond played by a woman, Susan Hayward.
‘Ian had considered several options, from Richard Burton (“I think that Richard Burton would be by far the best James Bond”), to James Stewart (“I wouldn’t at all mind him as Bond if he can slightly anglicize his accent”), to James Mason (“We might have to settle for him”).’
Hayward was a huge name at the time, thanks to roles in My Foolish Heart, The Conqueror, With a Song in My Heart and I’ll Cry Tomorrow
She won the best actress Oscar for her performance in 1958 flick I Want To Live!, and appeared alongside Sharon Tate and Barbara Parkins in Valley of the Dolls.
Fleming’s agent, Robert Fenn, explained how Connery ended up as Bond, revealing that other actors refused to sign on for a multi-movie deal.
‘We tried twenty or thirty. No major actor would play the part for more than one picture, and we couldn’t set up a deal with a distributor without commitment from a main actor,’ he said.
‘Fleming said, “He’s not my idea of Bond at all, I just want an elegant man, not this roughneck”.’
There has been intense speculation over who would be cast as the next 007 following the release of 2021’s No Time To Die – after Daniel Craig put down his martini glass once and for all.
Aaron Taylor Johnson is the latest to be linked to the blockbuster, while Cillian Murphy, Theo James, Henry Golding and Regé-Jean Page have also been tipped.
While Lashana Lynch became the first woman in the franchise to take the 007 title in the latest blockbuster, a woman has yet to be unveiled as the overall lead.
Discussing the future of the character in a 2018 interview with the Guardian, executive producer Barbara Broccoli ruled out the possibility of this happening in the future.
'Bond is a man,' she said to the outlet. 'He is a male character. He was originally written as a male and I believe he will likely remain as a male.'
'And that's okay. We don't need to change male characters into women. Instead, let's just invent more female characters and tailor the story to fit those female characters.'
