Top 10 James Bond Facts

After hearing as many actors as we have say the famous words “Bond. James Bond,” we can’t help but associate the spy’s name with everything that is cool and dashing. However, this wasn’t the original intention of Ian Fleming, the author of the Bond novels. Fleming got the name for the character from the real-life American bird expert, James Bond. Fleming, who was a birdwatcher himself, had read the real-life Bond’s book on birds, and found the name to be dull, uninteresting, yet macho at the same time – and those attributes somehow combined to make it the perfect fit for the 007.

Roger Moore had been in contention for the Bond role for years before he actually portrayed him. Because of his commitment to TV shows like “The Saint,” he wasn’t truly in the running until Connery retired – the first time. Ultimately, it was in 1973’s “Live and Let Die” that Moore finally made his debut as 007, at the age of 45, becoming the oldest actor before or since to start playing the part. When he finally announced his retirement following “A View to a Kill,” he was 58-years-old, having starred in seven Bond films over the span of 12 years. Considering the age of some of the ladies he courted, it was probably time to call it quits.

There’ve been dozens of actors who almost played Bond, and almost as many who were offered the role but declined it. A few names stand out to us more than others, names like Adam West, Clint Eastwood, and Burt Reynolds, all three of whom rejected the opportunity to play the iconic super-spy. Eastwood has played a great action hero in films like “Dirty Harry,” but he’s way too angry to play Bond. We love Adam West, but he made Batman look dorky; just think what he would’ve done with Bond. And as for Reynolds, well, we can’t picture 007 with a porn-stache. Fortunately, all three of them agreed that Bond should stay British.

Bond’s arguably the most iconic fictional English character of all time – which is weird since he’s actually Scottish. When Ian Fleming saw Scottish actor Sean Connery as the first ever film Bond in “Dr. No,” the author decided to use that in his writing: in the novel “You Only Live Twice,” he not only blessed Bond with more of a sense of humor than he’d previously had – in honor of Connery – he also made a point of saying that Bond had grown up in a rural area in Scotland, and didn’t move to England until his teenage years. These British roots were later explored more fully onscreen in “Skyfall,” bringing the origin story full circle. In that case, we’re surprised his onscreen drink of choice isn’t Scotch.

Lazenby may’ve only played 007 in one film, but he definitely worked hard to land the role. A model who had never before acted, Lazenby became determined to play Bond after seeing “Dr. No,” despite his inexperience. To get his foot in the door, Lazenby not only bedecked himself with trappings befitting of Bond – like a tailored suit, a Rolex and a haircut from Connery’s barber – he also lied to producers about his credentials, inventing films he’d been in and saying they filmed in countries like Germany, Russia and Czechoslovakia so producers couldn’t verify his claims due to the ongoing Cold War. Lazenby eventually came clean during the audition, but nonetheless nabbed the part.

It’s no secret that 007 is a bit of a womanizer. But when you actually do the math, it’s truly staggering – and, to be honest, we’re not sure how he gets out of bed long enough to get any spying done. In his first 23 official films, Bond bedded 55 women; averaging more than two per film! This is particularly impressive considering all these women were played by actresses who are considered to be some of the most beautiful of their respective eras. With conquests like Honey Ryder played Ursula Andress, Pussy Galore played by Honor Blackman, and Vesper Lynd played by Eva Green, it’s easy to see why every guy wants to be James Bond.

Bond has always been a symbol of masculinity and machismo. That’s one reason why you might be surprised to learn that his iconic theme music was an adaptation of a song from a stage musical. The man credited with composing the Bond music, Monty Norman, had previously adapted a novel called “A House for Mr Biswas” into musical, and the soundtrack included a song called “Good Sign, Bad Sign” – which, you’ll hear, sounds uncannily familiar. John Barry re-arranged the tune, jazzed it up and lost the lyrics and an iconic theme song was born.

It should come as no surprise that James Bond has killed a lotta people – maybe even more than he’s slept with. In fact, in his first 23 official movies, he killed over 350. But in terms of which of the six actors who’ve played Bond is the most lethal, Pierce Brosnan is number one – with a bullet. In just four movies, he took down – depending on how you count it – between 76-135 bad guys. This actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that the films Brosnan starred in were the most over-the-top, and focused more on special effects and action than telling a good spy story. Brosnan still got in a few good kills though.

Sean Connery is usually considered the best and most manly actor ever to play Bond. However, what many people might not realize is that Connery started losing his hair at the age of 21, and was therefore required to wear a toupee in every Bond film he was in. After Connery hung up his tux for good, he appeared onscreen more and more without a piece; but we figure when he was playing the super-spy, his favorite gadget was probably his rug.

Before we reveal our top pick here are a few honorable mentions:
- After Being Cast as 007, Pierce Brosnan Couldn’t Wear a Tux in Any Other Film
- First Actor to Play Bond Was Barry Nelson in a U.S. TV adaptation of ‘Casino Royale’
- Stuntman Bob Simmons Is the Figure Who Originally Shoots the Gun in the Barrel
- Bond Changed Cocktail Culture By Popularizing the Vodka Martini
- Woody Allen Played a Bond Villain

James Bond films ask you to suspend disbelief. But if you thought 007 had slept with a lotta ladies, wait until you hear how many times he’s stared down the barrel of a gun: nothing about the series is more unrealistic than the fact that Bond has been shot at 4,662 times and has lived to tell the tale. And that’s not even counting “Skyfall,” which – ironically – is the first movie where he suffers significant damage from a gunshot when he’s – again ironically – shot by his co-worker Moneypenny of all people. However, despite being shot by a sniper’s rifle and falling from a moving train, Bond managed to survive. Without a doubt, no one has cheated death more than 007.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the most interesting James Bond fact? For more cool top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.