When Anthony Hopkins met 007 producers

Sean Connery became the definitive 007 after his first appearance in Dr No in 1962, followed by five more Bond films until 1971. Roger Moore took over the role in 1973, starring in seven films, with Connery reprising his 007 character in Never Say Never Again in 1983.

However, back in 1971, after Connery’s initial departure from the franchise following Diamonds Are Forever, the producers were looking for a new actor with the credentials to portray the British Secret Service agent. A young actor named Anthony Hopkins, who had caught their eye in a recent film role, was consequently offered the sought-after Bond job.

Had he agreed to star in the next film, Live and Let Die, we may never have seen Moore’s portrayal of 007, which offered more than a touch of tongue-in-cheek humour. However, Hopkins had other ideas about his future career.

Who is Anthony Hopkins?

Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins is a baker’s son born in December 1937 in Port Talbot. At school, he preferred art and music to academic studies. He was inspired to follow an acting career at the age of 15, after a brief meeting with fellow Welshman Richard Burton, who was starring in the Hollywood romance, My Cousin Rachel, opposite Olivia de Havilland, at the time.

Hopkins graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 1957, later moving to London to complete his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, before graduating in 1963. Starting his career in the theatre, he was invited to join London’s Royal National Theatre in 1965 by acting legend Sir Laurence Olivier.

In 1967, Hopkins made his TV debut in the comedy play, A Flea in Her Ear, followed by his BAFTA-nominated starring role as Richard the Lionheart in The Lion in Winter in 1968. He also played Charles Dickens in a BBC Television film, The Great Inimitable Mr Dickens, in 1970. It was the actor’s performance in the 1971 action film, When Eight Bells Toll, that persuaded the 007 producers to offer him the role of James Bond.

James Bond “rip-off”

From the 1960s onwards, Bond fans have accused many other filmmakers of ripping off Ian Fleming’s action hero. Contenders have included Michael Caine’s 1960s Harry Palmer films The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, and Pierce Brosnan’s The Thomas Crown Affair and The November Man.

Scottish novelist Alistair MacLean’s plot for his 1965 book, When Eight Bells Toll, was also accused of being like a Bond adventure. It was made into a film in 1971, with Hopkins winning the leading role of British secret agent Commander Philip Calvert. The British Treasury was investigating the hijacking of five cargo ships, and sent Calvert to track the latest one, which was carrying £8 million worth of gold bullion to the remote Scottish Highlands.

Posing as a marine biologist, Calvert unravels the mysterious hijackings amid a backdrop of luxury yachts, shark fishermen, a historic castle, a helicopter crash, speedboats, explosions and daring escapes. Hopkins’ role as the all-action hero caught the attention of Bond producers, who were looking for a successor to Connery.

The producer of When Eight Bells Toll, Elliott Kastner, had freely admitted being inspired by the 007 franchise, but wrongly anticipated that Connery’s departure signalled the end of James Bond. He took a calculated risk with his secret agent film, seeing it as a grittier version of the spy genre that audiences would love. However, it didn’t fare well at the US box office, failing to attract 007 fans, although it did better in Europe and became the 11th most popular film of 1971 in the UK.

Famous meeting

Despite the film’s international failure, Hopkins’ career was boosted by his role, as it led to a meeting with the Bond producers. At 34, he was considered the ideal age to play 007 and had shown he was capable of performing in the type of action role the franchise required. He seemed quite surprised by their interest, telling the press years later, “Believe it or not, I met Cubby Broccoli, and I didn’t think I was the right material for Bond, but it was flattering to be offered it.”

Hopkins, now aged 87, said the plan was that he would take over the mantle after Diamonds Are Forever, when Connery departed. While it appeared, many actors had been in the running for the 007 role, Hopkins would have been a grittier Bond, along the lines of Timothy Dalton’s later portrayal in The Living Daylights in 1987.

Following the meeting with Bond producer Broccoli, Hopkins turned down the role, although the 007 team were still interested in signing him up for the franchise. Two decades later, they tried to persuade him to become a Bond villain in two 1990s films, GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. However, again, Hopkins wasn’t interested and turned down both offers.

In fact, the role of Elliot Carver, the evil media baron who tried to provoke a war between the UK and China in Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997, was written with Hopkins in mind, but still he couldn’t be tempted. Jonathan Pryce won the role eventually, opposite Brosnan’s 007.

Anthony Hopkins Zorro

Snubbing the 007 franchise in favour of The Mask of Zorro, Anthony Hopkins won the lead role in the swashbuckling 1998 adventure, starring as the fictional masked vigilante who traditionally defended the poor against oppression.

Executive producer Steven Spielberg gathered an A-list cast, including Hopkins as the original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega; Antonio Banderas as his successor, Alejandro Murrieta Zorro; and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Elena Montero, the love interest of young Zorro. The film was a massive hit worldwide, grossing £184.8 million at the box office and being nominated for two Academy Awards.

Anthony Hopkins Academy Award

Turning down the role of James Bond did no harm whatsoever to the star’s career. Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar win for Best Actor in 1991 for playing Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs was testament to his skills in bringing to life the cannibalistic serial killer.

Hopkins won his second Best Actor Oscar at 83, playing an octogenarian with dementia in The Father in 2020, making him the oldest winner in the category. Today, the man who could have been James Bond is still acting, his most recent role being King Herod in epic Biblical film Mary in 2024.