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Timothy Dalton was 'never comfortable' as James Bond

Sam Moore
Updated ·2-min read
COUNTY WICKLOW, IRELAND - FEBRUARY 13: Timothy Dalton on the set of
Timothy Dalton took over from Roger Moore as James Bond. (WireImage)

Timothy Dalton was "never comfortable" in the role of James Bond according to the series' casting director.

Debbie McWilliams, who has cast every James Bond film since 1981's For Your Eyes Only, was talking about her role in the series as part of the BFI's 'In conversation: 60 years of James Bond' event.

Read more: James Bond at 60: Producers reveal 007 secrets at BFI panel

Addressing the casting of Dalton to replace Roger Moore, McWilliams said: "To be honest with you, I don't think he ever felt quite comfortable. It was so different from anything he'd ever done."

Welsh actor Timothy Dalton poses as 007 in a publicity still for the 1987 James Bond film 'The Living Daylights', 1986. (Photo by Keith Hamshere/Getty Images)
Timothy Dalton as James Bond. (Getty Images)

McWilliams also detailed how Dalton was cast at the last minute after Pierce Brosnan became unavailable: "The way he was cast was a very sudden event, because we had Pierce Brosnan lined up. I mean, obviously, you always have to have somebody up your sleeve, whatever happened. So he [Dalton] was kind of standing by in the wings."

She added: "Quite literally over the weekend he was cast and I think it was all a bit of a shock for him."

Brosnan was originally supposed to be Moore's replacement but he was locked into a contract on US TV show Remington Steele that he couldn't get out of. He eventually replaced Dalton and played Bond between 1995 and 2002.

Actor Timothy Dalton and actress Maryam d'Abo on the set of
Timothy Dalton as James Bond in The Living Daylights. (Corbis via Getty Images)

Before being cast as Bond, Dalton was best known for his role in the historical epic The Lion in Winter as well as his work in the theatre though had previously been considered to play the spy after Sean Connery stepped away from the role.

Dalton only appeared in two Bond films – 1987's The Living Daylights and 1989's Licence to Kill – before legal issues between MGM and Eon delayed another sequel for six years.

Since leaving the role, Dalton is best known for his appearances in Doctor Who, Hot Fuzz and Penny Dreadful.

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