Michael Billington

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Welcome to Michael’s Bond Article - 2 Page

ORIGINALLY FOR PHILIPE LOMBARD OF “ARCHIVES 007”

Michael Billington Casting Photograph

A couple of Bond Pictures went by and I didn’t hear anything. The only
vibes I got back were from JANE SEYMOUR who had played my wife in
the British Television Series, THE ONEDIN LINE and starred as
SOLITAIRE in LIVE AND LET DIE, who told me that HARRY
SALTZMAN from time to time quizzed her about me, probing
questions such as my sexuality and things like that.

However, I suppose something about the test I had done, and this is a picture
CUBBY BROCCOLI had picked out from the Photo Shoot that stayed in his mind.

Eventually, Cubby picked up the phone and asked me to do something in THE SPY
WHO LOVED ME. I found out later that Harry Saltzman had gone and Cubby was on his
own. It seems they had been doing alternate pictures up till then. What was on offer
wasn’t BOND but a small role SERGEI. I knew that if I did it, it might prevent me from
doing BOND in the long run; but I thought “Why not?” A couple of weeks in SAN MORITZ
skiing and BOND was only a picture or two from demise anyway, or so I thought,
“What did I care?” My choice was should I try and play it like Bond? I decided to go the
‘Anti Hero’ route, ‘Darker’ inside.

I teamed up with second unit director JOHN GLENN to shoot the skiing shots but apart
from evenings at dinner I didn’t see much of him. Most work was done by WILLIE
BOGNER skiing backwards with a MOVIE CAMERA between his legs pointing behind
him. Not a bad stunt in itself. We shot the opening sequence in record time and half
a day in PINEWOOD completed the task. Not a big pay-check but never mind; I liked
LEWIS GILBERT, who had directed YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Time went by; ‘Spy’ was a
hit. I couldn’t think why. A man called JAWS who could bite sharks? It was what we called
‘abstract art’ in film study.

I’d just finished filming COOGAN in the British TV Series THE PROFESSIONALS when
I got the call to go to Paris for another series of tests. MOONRAKER was being
‘Prepped’ and they were looking at Bond Girls. I didn’t feel much like playing Bond
having just played a crazed underworld criminal but I took the job. I did some scenes with
imported beauties like Shelly Hack and Susan Reed. Also local talent such as the
beautiful Sylvia Krystel and a lovely girl called Cyrielle Besnard.

The word got out that they wanted LOIS CHILDS. Lois came over to shoot some tests
but I think she already had the role so the rest was strictly cosmetic. Lewis told me that
he thought I should do the next one, but it was up to Cubby. My final obstacle, according
to Lewis, would be if Cubby invited me out to dinner on the last night of the tests. He did
and we had a pleasant dinner with Cubby, Mrs Broccoli, Lois, John Glenn, myself and
Barbara, Cubby’s daughter. Barbara and I spent a night ‘on the town’ in Paris, with
John Glenn as chaperone. The next day I was on a plane back to London; and that was
that, or so I thought.

Some months later, I found myself in Hollywood on a job unrelated to Bond. I was alone
in a downtown Los Angeles hotel, so I called the Bond Office in Culver City to see if
anyone from the unit was in town. Barbara, who was doing film studies at Loyola
Marymont called me and we went to a Hollywood Party. I enjoyed the time Barbara
and I spent together and we became close.

Time passed and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY was on the horizon. By this time the ‘usual
suspects’ were gone. Lewis, I was told had asked $1,000,000 to do the picture so he
was shown the door, and JOHN GLENN was at the helm; script by Richard Maibaum,
close to retirement and Michael G. Wilson, a lawyer by profession. The sharp and witty
Christopher Woods dialogue was, sadly no more. The troops were gathering to go to
CORFU to begin filming but ROGER was being “Coy”. I think the money was an issue.
Cubby had me fitted out with Wardrobe and flew me to Corfu. We had a picture shoot
and here are a few of the results.

Michael Billington Testing for James Bond Photograph 1
Michael Billington Testing for James Bond Photograph 2

 

 

Michael Billington Testing for James Bond Photograph 3
Michael Billington Testing for James Bond Photograph 4

 

 

I was invited to several European openings of the film. I thought the Title Sequence
was fantastic but frankly considered the rest of the film over long and tepid, the plot
unfathomable and “Why did Bond wear a Wet Suit?” I asked and who could be afraid
of a Pistachio chewing TOPOL? But even this was not the end... there was more to come.

OCTOPUSSY rolled around. Roger this time was being “Extra Coy”. I tested once more
with Deborah Sheldon and Susan Penhaligon but it was purely cosmetic. I didn’t feel
John Glenn was ‘truly an actors’ director’. And anyway he seemed more secure with
Roger so, in my view; he needed me and any other candidate for that matter, like acute
pneumonia. And with all respect, Michael G. Wilson was not really a writer. And with all
the will in the world, I couldn’t quite see myself, dressed as a Circus Clown clutching a
Faberge Egg, and the finale with the ticking time bomb was in my view a resurrected
dead turkey, so consequently I was uncharacteristically very, very nervous of the
prospects.

However, I went my way and did KGB THE SECRET WAR: about real spies and the
Bonds went on. Timothy Dalton, an accomplished actor, unfortunately proved he wasn’t
entirely credible in the role of 007. Not his fault I’m sure. The films got longer and it
wasn’t until GOLDENEYE that the train finally got back on the tracks thanks largely,
I’m sure to Barbara Broccoli; but by that time it was far too late for me.

My biography and the complete story of my time with BOND will be published very soon...

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