Sean Connery played the role of James Bond in the 1971 movie Diamonds Are Forever. Connery played the iconic role of James Bond in 6 other films before he finally stepped away from the franchise. In 1962, the first James Bond series film was released, which was named Dr. No. And Sean Connery was the actor who introduced the world to the charm of James Bond.
The Scottish actor portrayed the role of James Bond in From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You only live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever. The seventh installment of the James Bond series was Connery’s last movie as Bond.
Sean Connery was bored with his James Bond Character
There were an array of reasons why Sean Connery wasn’t ready to get back to the set of the James Bond series. As makers knew the late actor had ruled the hearts of the viewers as James Bond for many years, they didn’t want to replace the actor. Reportedly, Connery wasn’t satisfied with his character and got very bored by his spy character.
The Goldfinger actor was also dissatisfied with his pay for playing the character onscreen. Despite being paid $750,000 plus 25% product profit, the Thunderball actor was unhappy. When Connery’s demands started increasing day by day, the makers decided to replace him. Reportedly, the actor demanded $1 million for the film and also a share of the box office profits.
Michael Gambon was also on the list of actors who could have played the role of James Bond
As the makers of the James Bond series decided to replace the late actor, they began compiling a list of potential actors who could replace him as James Bond. Actors such as Clint Eastwood and John Gavin, Burt Reynolds, and Adam West were competing for the part of the iconic spy. But it was also mentioned that the makers were not ready to cast an American actor for the role. Soon after, Irish actor Michael Gambon was suggested for the James Bond role, but because the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire actor was not in the desired physical form, he was not cast.
Despite the fact that the producers attempted hard to find a replacement for Connery after failing to find a suitable replacement, they brought him back for the sixth part of the series. The makers decided to pay Connery the desired amount. The late actor was paid reportedly $1.25 million for the film Diamonds Are Forever. United Artists also offered Connery two back-to-back films of his choice. Connery eventually donated his $1.25 million fee to the Scottish International Education Trust. The James Bond series played a very significant part in Connery’s illustrious acting career.
Source: Express
