James Bond vs Jaws

ROGER MOORE

Which is your favourite Bond film?

Of mine, The Spy Who Loved Me. I actually bought the DVD of /Casino Royale/, which I thought was terrific: Daniel Craig is tremendous, I couldn’t do what he does. The first day’s shooting, I’d have been dead, the stuntmen would all have been in hospital and my stunt double would have retired.

Who’s the best Bond villain ever?

All the villains have been wonderful. [Suddenly bursting out laughing] My co-author is saying ‘Grace Jones’. Of my villains, I loved Chris Walken (A View To A Kill) and of course Christopher Lee (The Man With The Golden Gun). The villains have the best parts, they’re the only ones with anything to say. Poor old bloody Bond, he says, ‘My name’s Bond, James Bond’ if he’s lucky, and then the villains go into these wonderful speeches, destroying the world.

What was your favourite line after dispatching a villain?

I didn’t dispatch him, but trying to get information from Marne Maitland, who played a gunsmith (/The Man With The Golden Gun/) the rifle – that’s on a stand – goes from his head down to his nether-regions, and I say, ‘Speak now, or forever hold your piece’. I loved that line.

What was Richard Kiel like to work with?

He’s a lovely man. He told me that the question he really hated being asked most was, ‘How big were you when you were little?’ I hope you didn’t ask him that. I asked him if everything was big: he laughed. His wife just smiled. She’s tiny…

What’s the best Bond gadget?

I loved the magnetic watch for unzipping dresses. The worst was doing the hovercraft (Moonraker), because when that had to come out of the water it just tipped over, and six times in a row it tipped me into the Grand Canal. Meanwhile, there’s 40,000 Japanese tourists laughing their heads off, going [does comedy Japanese accent], ‘Awhaha! James Bond!’

What’s the worst injury you’ve sustained on a set?

On The Spy Who Loved Me I got three holes blown in my backside. Everyone else has one, I have three. Like a fool, I suggested I should have sat in the chair – which had a metal back so the explosives wouldn’t make contact with me – but when I sat in the chair I got the explosives right up the backside. It was funny for the crew… it wasn’t for me. I was on fire.

Who’s the sexiest Bond girl?

I don’t play favourites, but certainly Maud Adams was very punctual. 

What’s it like to hang out and party on a Bond film set?

They’re just a laugh. The post-Bond parties are when the sparks and the carpenters come up to you, put their arm round you and say, ‘Well, Rog, you’re an arsehole.’ [chuckles dryly].

Have you ever had a stalker?

There were a couple who were a bit odd. When I was doing /The Saint/, this Spaniard turned up at Elstree Studios demanding to see me. He thought I really was Simon Templar and wanted me to go to his house and prove that his wife was having a lesbian affair by recording what was going on in the bed. So I didn’t record it but I went and watched – it was wonderful.

What was your biggest extravagance when you were a fully established star?

I bought a Rolls Royce when I could afford one. It was the same day I was going to my son’s Christmas party, and I was sitting at the traffic lights wondering why people were staring at me. I was thinking, ‘Silly bastard, I should never have bought a Rolls Royce, everyone’s staring’. [Bursts out laughing] I’d forgotten I was dressed as Father Christmas.

 

RICHARD KIEL

Who’s your favourite Bond?

That’s a tough question for me because I grew up with Sean Connery and I’m very fond of Goldfinger and Thunderball, but having worked with Roger Moore – who had a big heart and let my character steal all the scenes – I have to say… George Lazenby. It keeps me out of trouble.

What’s your favourite moment in a Bond film?

The part in The Spy Who Loved Me where you find out Jaws has survived, and you see me pop out of the ocean. Audiences all over the world applauded and cheered, it was one of the biggest moments of my life. I didn’t know if Jaws lived or died, because they shot it both ways, and there was a long time between my scene with the shark and me popping out of the ocean. I thought, ‘I guess I’ve had it’, then all of a sudden they showed Jaws popping out of the ocean and the people in this screening room just roared – I thought, ‘My God, I’ve finally made it big in the movies!’

Did they ruin Jaws in Moonraker by making him more of a comedy character?

Well, the director’s grandson said, ‘Grandpa, I like Jaws, why does he have to be a bad guy?’ So that gave him some ideas. That was a big turning point for my career, getting to play good guys. Well, not so bad, bad guys, anyway. I finally got to kiss the girl, which my wife wasn’t too thrilled about, but I said, ‘Don’t worry – it’s taken me 32 years in this business to kiss the girl, by the time I’m able to do anything else I’ll be too old for it!’

Would you come back for a third Bond film?

I think Jaws has probably run his course – Bond films are very different now, I don’t see Jaws as a part of it. Well… maybe as a cameo…

What was it like wearing the metal teeth?

They were somewhat nauseating. They went right up into the roof of your mouth and they were made out of real chromium steel. It’s like getting a dental impression, they shove this gooey stuff into your mouth and it almost makes you sick. It made me quite stoic – it gave me a look… 

What do you think of Daniel Craig?

He’s a terrific actor. I think he’s going to be a superstar as the new tough guy. It’s a different Bond, and for some people it’s a little hard to get used to, but it was time for something different. Bond’s a tough guy now.

Who’s the sexiest Bond girl?

I worked with Barbara Bach in three movies, and she’s a really lovely lady. So is Lois Chiles.

You’re promoting the new Swatch Villain Collection, but what’s your favourite Bond gadget?

I like the underwater car (The Spy Who Loved Me). In the scene where the car comes up onto the beach, the little boy who points at it is actually my son.

Who was your favourite Bond villain?

It’s a toss-up between Oddjob (Goldfinger) and Red Grant (From Russia With Love) but the guy with the bleeding eye in Casino Royale was good as well. He’s kind of a handsome guy without that, it gave him a good characteristic. He’s like me – nothing like the character he played.

Was Roger Moore anything like James Bond?

I think Roger Moore is James Bond.