In February 1973, he revealed that he had spent all of the money he had earned from playing Bond, had experienced two nervous breakdowns and had become an alcoholic. He felt that if he had continued in the role, he would have gone crazy due to the mental stress that the role brings.
Dalton revealed that he had initially signed a three-film contract, and a third movie was in the works, but it was scrapped because of the lawsuits. Dalton declined the opportunity to return as Bond in another movie when he was asked to sign a longer contract, leading to Pierce Brosnan taking on the role.
Through a chance meeting with a talent agent, he eventually auditioned for the Bond role, during which he lied to Eon Productions executives about his acting résumé, saying that he had acted internationally in China and Russia, “all countries I could think of they wouldn't be able to check on,” Lazenby recalled in the ...
Moore insisted the two actors were rivals: "No more than two jockeys who are going to be paid anyway for running the race. But it would be nice if you won because you'd get the extra bonus. But really, no more than that. Sean and I are friends."
Why Sean Connery Retired After Making The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Sean Connery's health had played a small role in his decision to officially retire in 2006, as the actor cited successful surgery to remove a tumor on his kidney at the AFI ceremony.
The Reason Each James Bond Actor Quit the Franchise
Who was supposed to be James Bond instead of Sean Connery?
David Niven: 1967
When Sean Connery had been cast in November 1961, David Niven had been Fleming's choice for the role; the actor reflected the author's image of the character. In 1965 producer Charles Feldman signed Niven to play Sir James Bond for Casino Royale, a film not made by Eon Productions.
Diane Cilento has iterated that their son has never received a cent from his father and Sean had no intention of leaving Jason a part of his large fortune. Connery gave up most of his post-tax Bond money in their divorce and had to start over. Money for his son went into a trust at that time to ensure the estate plan.
3. Roger Moore – AGE! Over his seven Bond outings, Roger Moore became the oldest actor to play 007, as he was 58 years old when he made his final Bond movie, A View to a Kill. And it seems like age was very much a factor in Moore deciding to quit the role, but it wasn't because he couldn't do the stunts anymore.
Why did Sean Connery agree to do Never Say Never Again?
Considering the bad blood between Connery and Broccoli, the star opted for Never Say Never Again. This unofficial Bond outing was the result of a messy legal battle involving the rights to the novel Thunderball, and despite EON's efforts to prevent its production, it finally pressed ahead in the early '80s.
The 30-year old actor was blessed with a natural full head of thick, dark hair - genetics were on his side! Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton, who played Bond in the 1980s, didn't wear hairpieces for men either, but they did get their hair touched up.
In February 1973, he revealed that he had spent all of the money he had earned from playing Bond, had experienced two nervous breakdowns and had become an alcoholic. He felt that if he had continued in the role, he would have gone crazy due to the mental stress that the role brings.
Then, he upped his salary and earned $4 million for Moonraker, $4.6 for For Your Eyes Only, and $5.2 for Octopussy. In his final instalment as Bond, Moore took home an impressive $7.5 for A View to a Kill. This brings his total earnings up to an incredible $24.3 million.
After the death of Dame Judi Dench's M at the end of Skyfall, she is succeeded by Gareth Mallory, played by Ralph Fiennes. Mallory had been the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee prior to heading MI6, and is a former lieutenant colonel in the British Army.
Moore starred in his final Bond film, A View to a Kill (1985). He was the oldest actor to have played Bond – he was 45 in Live and Let Die, and 58 when he announced his retirement on 3 December 1985, having played the part for over 12 years.
Connery was married to actress Diane Cilento from 1962 to 1974, though they separated in 1971. They had a son, actor Jason Joseph. Connery illustrated the cover of Cilento's 1967 novel: The Manipulator.
Who Inherited Connery's Wealth? Following his death, all of Sean Connery's assets were distributed to his wife, children, and siblings by his Will Document.
Did Sean Connery have any children with his first wife?
The iconic actor — whose career spanned more than six decades — had one child with his first wife Diane Cilento, a son born in 1963 named Jason Joseph Connery. Though Sean would eventually split from Jason's mother, the actor grew to have a close relationship with his son.
Barry Nelson was an American actor, noted as the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond. Nelson was born Robert Haakon Nielsen in San Francisco, California, of Norwegian ancestry, the son of Betsy and Trygve Nielsen.
Broccoli and Harry Saltzman originally sought Grant for the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962) but discarded the idea as Grant would be committed to only one feature film; therefore, the producers decided to go after someone who could be part of a franchise after James Mason would only agree to commit to three films.
Then, Connery wed French-Moroccan artist Micheline Roquebrune, who had three children from previous marriages, Oliver, Micha, and Stephane, all of whom became Connery's stepchildren.
