The Name's Not Bond, Not James Bond Quiz

Answer: Richard Todd

Born in Dublin, Richard Todd became a part of a cadre of British/Irish actors who were to come to prominence during a period from the end of WW2 to the mid 1960s. He served in the British Army during the war and turned to acting after he was demobbed. After a well-received time in theatre, he came to prominence in his second movie "The Hasty Heart" in 1949. (Hollywood heart throb Ronald Reagan had a supporting role.)

A string of Disney movies followed, but he was to get strong reviews for his parts in two war movies in particular, "The Dam Busters" (1955) and "The Longest Day" (1962).

A "Guardian" obituary in 2009 noted other commitments made him unavailable to play James Bond in "Dr No", even though he had been "Ian Fleming's first choice". Fleming had worked for British intelligence during WW2 and wrote a series of books about an intelligence officer with "a license to kill" whose job was to protect the world from tyrants.

By the end of the 1950s, movie roles had dried up and Todd turned to dairy farming, although he did step out on stage and television from time to time.

Incidentally, one actor to turn down the role that went to Connery was Rod Taylor, who later said: "I refused because I thought it was beneath me. I didn't think Bond would be successful in the movies. That was one of the greatest mistakes of my career! Every time a new Bond picture became a smash hit, I tore out my hair."

Released in 1962, "Dr No" was the first official "Bond" movie.

Answer: Peter Purves

First broadcast in October 1958, "Blue Peter" was a BBC programme aimed at encouraging the development of children. Peter Purves joined presenters in 1967 and stayed there for almost 11 years.

Before that, after a time in repertory theatre, he got a part in the science fiction programme "Dr Who" and appeared in 46 episodes in 1965 and 1966. After "Blue Peter" he appeared as host of several factual shows, and was for many years the BBC's lead presenter for the Cruft's dog show.

According to the website jamesbondfandom, Purves auditioned for the role of 007 but lost out to George Lazenby.

In 1969 "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was the sixth official outing for the agent with "a license to kill".

Answer: Roger Green

Green also filmed some parts with Imogen Hassell, but in the end Sean Connery made a comeback after missing "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Hassell, an English actress of some note, did not make the cut either.

During and after the completion of "You Only Live Twice", Connery was said to have become disgruntled with the role of Bond. It was claimed that at the premiere in London in June 1967, Queen Elizabeth II said to him: "I understand this to be your last Bond film". He is said to have replied "Yes ma'am, this is definitely the last time for me!". [Source: 'Daily Express' newspaper, October 2015.]

A search began for a successor. Roger Green was born in New Zealand and played rugby union for the junior All Blacks national team and had appeared in the 1970 movie "Waterloo".

In an interview, Green said: "My friend Johnny Harrison was a theatrical agent who felt I would make a good Bond, and he got me meetings with Cubby Broccoli and Harry [Saltzman]. Broccoli said they were considering me for the role of James Bond in 'Diamonds Are Forever'".

Green did a screen test and said: "The audition ended with the director Guy Hamilton saying, 'You have a great chance of getting this part, we will get back in touch with your agent.'".

The next thing he learned from newspaper reports was that Connery had agreed to return as Bond. "My agent said that Hamilton, Broccoli and Saltzman had wished me to play the role but United Artists had said, 'Not another unknown Antipodean actor please!'", Green said in a newspaper interview.

Green had few screen credits thereafter, although he enjoyed - perhaps too much - the London party scene and became a successful businessman in meat exporting from his native New Zealand. In later years he was a director of an alcohol addiction treatment centre.

The wrong answers were all actors born in Such Africa.

Released in 1971, "Diamonds Are Forever" was the seventh "Bond" movie.

Answer: John Gavin

When it was clear that George Lazenby would not reprise the role for "Diamonds Are Forever", John Gavin was in the frame, but lost out when Sean Connery agreed to return. Gavin was also considered for "Live And Let Die" but producers decided that 007 was quintessentially English and an American would not be accepted.

John Gavin was one of those considered for "Diamonds Are Forever" - along with Roger Green, previous question. The "Daily Express" reported Gavin was signed up and put under contract. The studio, United Artists, objected and Connery was brought back.

The newspaper reported: "Amazingly, producer Cubby Broccoli insisted that John Gavin be paid the full salary called for in his contract - and the actor still receives residuals today from a film in which he never appeared."

In his published diary, meanwhile, Roger Moore - the third 007 - insisted that Gavin had also been in the frame for "Live And Let Die". Burt Reynolds had also been suggested.

Gavin had appeared in some notable movies before, including "Spartacus" (1960), "Psycho" (1960), and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (1967). Gavin continued to act on TV and in movies, and was also a president of the Screen Actors Guild.

"Diamonds Are Forever" and "Live And Let Die" were the seventh and eighth "Bond" movies in 1971 and 1973 respectively.

Answer: Patrick Mower

Patrick Mower began his acting career on British television in 1964 with the BBC comedy-drama "Swizzlewick". His first big screen outing was in "The Devil Rides Out" in 1968 and several more movies followed.

Television was to prove a better earner, though and he had long runs in drama shows including "Callan", "Taggart" and "Special Branch". In 2011 he first appeared in the Yorkshire soap opera "Emmerdale" as the philandering former fairground performer Rodney Blackstock. More than 1,000 appearances followed.

Indeed, Mower claimed that he had been "snubbed" for the 007 role on eight occasions, losing out to George Lazenby, then Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.

In an interview he said: "I was the first person to be told Sean wasn't returning to the role. Sean was a super, super star. Back then he was God. I couldn't believe it when the producers called me in and asked if I'd like to do it. I was 28. They tested me as they thought I was too young. And I did, too. I mean, Sean was a man and I still saw myself as a little boy." Mower said that he had been screen tested for several other "Bond" movies, also, the "Scottish Daily Record" reported in 2000.

"For Your Eyes Only", in 1981, was the 12th outing for James Bond in the official franchise.

Answer: James Brolin

James Brolin was noted for appearances in "Westworld" (1973) and "The Amityville Horror" (1979).

In an interview in 2019, Brolin said: "Roger Moore had said, "I'm not doing any more Bond." So, Cubby Broccoli starts interviewing people and flies me over [to the U.K.] and takes me to all the great spots, then finally decides. ... We talked about having an intercontinental accent - I'm not British and a lot of people are gonna object. Anyway, I got my flat, I started working out with the stuntmen, and then I went back home to collect all my stuff, because I'm gonna be gone a year. I'm home about a week, and I get a message that Roger Moore decided to do 'Octopussy'." [Source, ultimateclassicrock.]

James Brolin's first acting credits were for "Follow the Sun" on television in 1961 and he worked regularly on the small screen for some 40 years, including long runs in "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Hotel" and "Pensacola: Wings of Gold". He had numerous movie roles, and shared a Screen Actors Guild award for "Traffic" in 2000.

"Octopussy" was number 13 on the official list. It was released in 1983.

Answer: Sam Neill

Sam Neill was born in the town of Omagh, Co Tyrone, while his New Zealand-born father was on attachment to the Irish Guards. (Neill considers himself to be a New Zealander.)

Neill got a screen test for Bond (you can find it with an internet search). Years later he told the Australian broadcaster ABC: "My agent shoved me into a really embarrassing test. It was one of the most mortifying times of my life, because I really didn't want to play James Bond."

In that interview he claimed that some years later he met Roger Moore who told him "You should have been Bond".

Actually, Pierce Brosnan was the front-runner for the part, but was committed to another season of "Remington Steele" on television. Timothy Dalton was among a plethora of actors considered and got the role when he was freed up from commitments to the movie "Brenda Starr", which was filmed in 1986.

"The Living Daylights" was released in 1987 and was the 15th official "Bond" movie.

Answer: Sean Bean

The Yorkshire-born actor Sean Bean shot to fame in the televised series "Sharpe", based on Bernard Cornwell's Napoleon-era books. He played Richard Sharpe for four years from 1993.

When "The Living Daylights" was in pre-production, Sean Bean auditioned for the part of James Bond. The role went to Pierce Brosnan, however the producers had been impressed by Bean and cast him as rogue MI6 spy Alec Trevelyan in "GoldenEye". The famous fight between 007 and Alex Trevelyan at a giant radio telescope took six weeks to plan and shoot.

Sean Bean had an impressive line-up of movie roles, including the "Lord of the Rings" series between 2001 and 2003. He won several awards for television's "Game of Thrones".

"The Living Daylights" was the 15th official Bond movie and was released in 1987. "GoldenEye" was the 17th and was released in 1995.

Answer: Patrick McGoohan

Would we have seen any of McGoohan's superb parts in "Colombo" if he had accepted "Dr No" in 1961?

In 2016, the "National Catholic Reporter" quoted McGoohan as saying: "I thought there was too much emphasis on sex and violence. It has an insidious and powerful influence on children. Would you like your son to grow up like James Bond? Since I hold these views strongly as an individual and parent I didn't see how I could contribute to the very things to which I objected."

Patrick McGoohan played the murderer - oops, sorry for that spoiler - in four "Colombo" movies, more than any other actor. He also directed five in the series.

McGoohan was active from 1955 until 2002. He died in 2009. He will probably be chiefly remembered for his iconic television roles in "Danger Man" (1960-62) and "The Prisoner" (1967).

Answer: Liam Neeson

The official reason given was that he was not interested in action movies at the time "GoldenEye" was being made for a 1994 release. The real reason was that his girlfriend, Natasha Richardson, would not have married him if he took the part.

Appearing on television's "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in 2021, Neeson said: "I know they were looking at various actors and I apparently was among them. However, my dear, departed wife did say to me...'Darling, if you're offered James Bond and you're going to play it, you're not going to marry me.'"

In 1993, Liam Neeson received an Oscar nomination for "Schindler's List", which was based on the true story of a German factory owner who saved more than 1,000 Jews from Nazi camps during WW2. From 1978, the Northern Ireland actor was rarely out of work in big screen productions. He was just as busy in television roles.

Of course you knew that the only Northern Ireland actor listed in the question was Liam Neeson.

In 2020, the "Irish Times" published a list of "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time" and placed Neeson at number seven. Their number one was Maureen O'Hara.