Sean Connery in Live and Let Die - questions

Doctor Who

Couple of questions:

1) Is it true Sean was approached to play Bond yet again for Live and Let Die but turned it down?

2) Was the script already written before casting?

3) How do you guys think he would've fared in that film?

I just think it'd have been really interesting to have seen Sean Connery as Bond in basically a Blaxploitation film and in gritty 70s NYC.

Barbel

1) Yes.

2) Mainly. Changes and additions were done right up to filming. Tom Mankiewicz did not know who would be 007 till the bulk of the writing was done.

3) About the same as DAF.

AugustWalker

Glad that they went with Moore, Connery was way past his prime in DAF already...

Matt S

I could easily picture Connery in LALD, and the same with TMWTGG. Those films aren't much different from DAF, with Guy Hamilton directing and Tom Mankiewicz writing. Moore's Bond isn't written differently than Connery's until TSWLM. It wasn't until TSWLM that they realised that Bond could be a different character.

Silhouette Man

You know, I've always meant to write a kind of definitive article on why Connery rejected the Bond role for LALD, drawing all of the available sources together in one place.

I don't think there's ever really been an article like that written before. Maybe one day I'll get around to it as it's a fascinating subject.

Thunderpussy

I think even Tom Mankiewicz called Sir Sean , telling him
About the crocodiles and speedboats, but he wasn't interested.
I think he talks about it on the DVD extras. Although I agree that
Connery was done with Bond, and it was better to get a new face
For 007.

Revelator

Even a past-his-prime Connery would be worth watching. And I don't think Connery was past his prime in the first place. He gives a relaxed performance in DAF because that's what the film demands from him.

Doctor Who

Silhouette Man wrote:

You know, I've always meant to write a kind of definitive article on why Connery rejected the Bond role for LALD, drawing all of the available sources together in one place.

I don't think there's ever really been an article like that written before. Maybe one day I'll get around to it as it's a fascinating subject.

Can you summarize why briefly? Am curious.

Firemass

Doctor Who wrote:

basically a Blaxploitation film

Just curious, what other Blaxploitation films have you seen?

Silhouette Man

Doctor Who wrote:

Silhouette Man wrote:

You know, I've always meant to write a kind of definitive article on why Connery rejected the Bond role for LALD, drawing all of the available sources together in one place.

I don't think there's ever really been an article like that written before. Maybe one day I'll get around to it as it's a fascinating subject.

Can you summarize why briefly? Am curious.

Why Connery rejected the Bond role for LALD?

Jimmy Bond

After seeing NSNA, it's fairly clear that Connery could've carried on playing the part for years and years until the mid 80's.

Thunderpussy

Connery could have played Bond until His mid 80s

Jimmy Bond

For sure.

In all seriousness, Skyfall probably would've been better with Connery in it, in his early 70s or something. The old pro, worn out and pulled back for the last ever mission.

Dirty Punker

I sure do hope most people in this thread are taking the piss

Thunderpussy

Connery could always shoot from the hip, even if that hip
was made of aluminium

CoolHandBond

A few years ago I read character actor Victor Spinetti’s autobiography and he relates an episode where he was with Sean Connery at his house and Sean received a phone call from either one of the producers or maybe it was head of United Artists (sorry, memory is sketchy on this point) asking if he would replace Roger Moore as after a weeks filming it was felt that it wasn’t going right and he point blank refused.

Having read Roger’s LALD diary book I think Roger had injured himself during the first week when they were filming the boat chase so maybe this was the reason?

I cannot believe that Sean would have ever done this to Roger, anyway.

Jimmy Bond

Connery's a cool cat, and would not stab another actor in the back. Its a fact of life - that, and his notorious longevity per deals, and his penchant to hold on a grudge.