Richard Madden backed for James Bond role by Line of Duty and Bodyguard writer
Game of Thrones actor Madden starred opposite Elba in 2016 action film Bastille Day (later renamed The Take) and will next be seen opposite Keeley Hawes in BBC One thriller Bodyguard, from the creator of Line of Duty.
Madden plays a heroic but volatile war veteran tasked with protecting the UK's ambitious and powerful Home Secretary (Hawes).
Speaking at a launch for the series, Bodyguard writer Jed Mercurio acknowledged that scenes of a gun-toting Madden in a suit would inevitably spark Bond rumours... and even backed his leading man for the role.
"Richard's a fantastic actor," Mercurio said. "I worked with him before on Lady Chatterley's Lover and I had a brilliant time collaborating with him on this, and I'd love it if we could ever work together again in the future."
He added: "If there are certain signature roles out there in the world, certain brand leading roles, then I couldn't think of a better candidate!"
Richard Madden's family, friends, pet dog, the girl he had a crush on at school, and some guy he once met on the London tube, all agree.
After watching Kingsman golden circle, I think Elton John should be next 007, great in the fight scenes(does his own stunts) could wear SC old hair rugs ( for fans who like the nod to th e old films) and I believe he's taller than DC :v
It will be DC because there is a vast Hollywood conspiracy as they are secretly filming B25 and B26 back-to-back with Mendes directing the former and Boyle the latter and I'm the only one who knows the truth about it all.
I think Idris Elba would be a terrible James Bond. He's too street to be Bond, he's not got that classy, sophisticated vibe. Go watch him in Bastille Day (which also stars Richard Madden). He's not Bond-ish at all. Just some street type American action guy. It's laughable to think Elba is Bond material. Sure, Elba is probably talented - he did play Nelson Mandela and got some good reviews for his performance, but James Bond? Elba could be a cool 'new' spy type hero but it's absurd to think he is Bond type material. Bond is a sophisticated Etonian, a charming playboy with a ruthless licence to kill. None of that is is evident in Elba's style of acting. And to be fair to Elba, I'd struggle to imagine Roger Moore playing a street type character. Actors are not suitable for every type of character and it's sad to see Elba or his fanbase trying to fit him into the Bond mould when it's clear to me he is distinctly lacking all of the main character traits. Why are so many people desperate for a less sophisticated, street type Bond?
I don't think Daniel Craig is a particularly classy Bond. His take on the character seems more of a 'blunt instrument' kinda hero than a sophisticated one. Fleming described Bond as a blunt instrument but his Bond also had an appreciation for the finer things in life. I suppose if people like Craig then Elba won't be much different but it seems further proof of the deconstruction of the character. We're seeing the end of the sophisticated James Bond. I doubt it will ever return.
If there is a suitable black actor - one that has some classy sophistication for the role - sure, bring him on. But Idris Elba? Come on! He doesn't have the class - period. Life is too short for this nonsense. Sorry to be harsh, I'm sure Elba is a decent guy, but this is James Bond we're talking about - we have to be brutally honest how we feel.
There's a small part of me that wished Die Another Day was the final ever James Bond film. I feel recasting the role with Craig - (accepting he is popular) and now all this media talk of Elba taking over - has destroyed much of the character. Have you seen Henry Cavill's acting in Man From UNCLE. It's so stiff and horrible. He'd be terrible as Bond too.
Perhaps Bond should end? I love the old films but I wouldn't have been too upset if DAD was the last Bond film. Sure, it wasn't that great, but Brosnan felt a proper old school James Bond and that Bond is never coming. I can't see it coming back and I don't really care for reinvention type Bonds. Black Bond, blonde Bond, Cavill Bond, or some new guy Barbara Broccoli fancies. I wouldn't be surprised if the next Bond actor is picked cos Babs fancies him. Apparently she had the hots for Craig (could be rumour but who knows!). Anyway, sorry for the rant but many Star Wars fans hated The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It's proof a franchise can go on too long. Perhaps Bond should have ended with Cubby and John Glen? Bond is a 20th century character at heart. He doesn't really belong in the 21st century.
Are you saying that as it stands DAD IS more Flemingesqe than CR )
like it or don't, DAD actually has more Fleming content than any other Brosnan movie or any of Craigs films aside from CR.
proof that simply having Fleming content is no guarantee.
I think most of us agree CR has the feel of Fleming down much more than DAD, no matter how many Fleming quotes or references DAD has.
But that wasn't the point of the question. If you feel DAD is more Flemingesqe than CR just turn the question around.
DAD uses some Fleming material (names etc changed) in the first part. CR06 uses big chunks of Fleming material, mostly in the second part, and I like that the credits include "Based on the novel by Ian Fleming" for the first time in decades. It would have been nice to have seen Fleming's possessive credit over the title rather than JB007, too.
I think Idris Elba would be a terrible James Bond. He's too street to be Bond, he's not got that classy, sophisticated vibe. Go watch him in Bastille Day (which also stars Richard Madden). He's not Bond-ish at all. Just some street type American action guy. It's laughable to think Elba is Bond material. Sure, Elba is probably talented - he did play Nelson Mandela and got some good reviews for his performance, but James Bond? Elba could be a cool 'new' spy type hero but it's absurd to think he is Bond type material. Bond is a sophisticated Etonian, a charming playboy with a ruthless licence to kill. None of that is is evident in Elba's style of acting. And to be fair to Elba, I'd struggle to imagine Roger Moore playing a street type character. Actors are not suitable for every type of character and it's sad to see Elba or his fanbase trying to fit him into the Bond mould when it's clear to me he is distinctly lacking all of the main character traits. Why are so many people desperate for a less sophisticated, street type Bond?
I don't think Daniel Craig is a particularly classy Bond. His take on the character seems more of a 'blunt instrument' kinda hero than a sophisticated one. Fleming described Bond as a blunt instrument but his Bond also had an appreciation for the finer things in life. I suppose if people like Craig then Elba won't be much different but it seems further proof of the deconstruction of the character. We're seeing the end of the sophisticated James Bond. I doubt it will ever return.
If there is a suitable black actor - one that has some classy sophistication for the role - sure, bring him on. But Idris Elba? Come on! He doesn't have the class - period. Life is too short for this nonsense. Sorry to be harsh, I'm sure Elba is a decent guy, but this is James Bond we're talking about - we have to be brutally honest how we feel.
There's a small part of me that wished Die Another Day was the final ever James Bond film. I feel recasting the role with Craig - (accepting he is popular) and now all this media talk of Elba taking over - has destroyed much of the character. Have you seen Henry Cavill's acting in Man From UNCLE. It's so stiff and horrible. He'd be terrible as Bond too.
Perhaps Bond should end? I love the old films but I wouldn't have been too upset if DAD was the last Bond film. Sure, it wasn't that great, but Brosnan felt a proper old school James Bond and that Bond is never coming. I can't see it coming back and I don't really care for reinvention type Bonds. Black Bond, blonde Bond, Cavill Bond, or some new guy Barbara Broccoli fancies. I wouldn't be surprised if the next Bond actor is picked cos Babs fancies him. Apparently she had the hots for Craig (could be rumour but who knows!). Anyway, sorry for the rant but many Star Wars fans hated The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It's proof a franchise can go on too long. Perhaps Bond should have ended with Cubby and John Glen? Bond is a 20th century character at heart. He doesn't really belong in the 21st century.
Perhaps we're in a situation the Bond producers found themselves in when making Diamonds Are Forever and there is no ideal candidate for a new Bond, which is why UA insisted on getting Connery back. It happens.
Besides, I think Bond needs a bit of street these days. The most famous Old Etonians in Britain are David Cameron, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson, which suggests the Eton brand is somewhat damaged. Nobody creating Bond these days would have the character being educated there without a lot of back-story adding some street-cred to his persona.
I would suggest this was true to an extent back in 1962, which is why the role went to an Edinburgh actor with a background as a seaman and bodybuilder rather than some smoothychops from RADA.
I really hope to see a return of the classy and sophisticated James Bond. All respect for Daniel Craig, who did a phenomenal job in more or less resurrecting the series after the terrible DAD; he is not the James Bond that I prefer. To me, Daniel's JB is similar to the other JB; Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt: great spy's/killers, but too 1 dimensional.
I want to see a James Bond that makes snobby comments about the wine he is drinking, that relies on his wits and less on his fists. It doesn't have to turn into Roger Moore territory, but a bit more 'fun' would be great, with a good balance of suspense. No more 'angst' in james Bond, not anylonger tortured or rogue. But simply a man on a mission, determined to succeed, but full of confidence, class, sophistication and intelligence to make him successful.
Think Connery in Dr No, FRWL, Goldfinger, Lazenby in OHMSS and even Pierce Brosnan, who despite his lack of good material, always seemed to have fun in the role he played, and demonstrated a combination of good looks, class and wits. That is the Bond I want to see. Less street thug, more gentleman but still ruthless spy style. Coming to think of it, I still think Connery's portrayal of Bond in Dr No is the most perfect adaptation for the screen.
I don't think Craig's Bond is one dimensional. His his Bond is probably the most complex we've seen. Other than that I agree with most of what you just wrote. It would be great seing Bond enjoying a fine meal with a beautiful woman more often. Also want see more spy craft, more suspence and focus on missions instead of angst about his family background.
I don't think Elba is too "street". He's a fine actor who can play that style convincingly if needed, just as he can play a Norse god (or rather the superhero version of it) or a space ship captain. I still don't wish him to be Bond, though.
I don't think Craig's Bond is one dimensional. His his Bond is probably the most complex we've seen.
Me neither. I feel DC's Bond has been multidimensional and complex, and I love the chemistry he's had with all the other cast members throughout his tenure so far... more than the last two incumbents IMO, and certainly more than Bourne and Hunt [well, certainly Bourne, Cruise's Hunt is a nice character actually]
It would be great seing Bond enjoying a fine meal with a beautiful woman more often. Also want see more spy craft, more suspence and focus on missions instead of angst about his family background.
I find it fascinating that absolutely no-one has commented on what the question was really about
I actually chose not to try an answer for the same reasons I avoid political debates, but since no-one else has answered you I shall give it a try:
the films have strayed so far from Fleming, with the smooth comedy superman in the seventies and the rude antisocial brawler we have now, that it would be easy to have a black Bond who is closer to what Fleming wrote than many of the film interpretations.
Obviously depends on the actor. I'm not sure what current age-appropriate actor I would pick.
Casino Royale by definition is as close as we've got to Fleming in decades, plot-wise. But I never thought Craig's performance in that film was authentically Flemingesque, so yes its theoretically possible some ideal actor of colour could have got the character closer.
What specific proof within Fleming is there that Bond isn't black anyway? ok, he says some condescending things in LaLD, but he's also condescending to middle class Brits who get up early and commute to work. He's an equal opportunity condescender.
And Fleming has Bond getting sunburnt a lot. Fleming usually says sunburn when he means suntan, but still that speaks of pale sensitive skin.
Otherwise all we know is father is from Scotland and mother from Switzerland. Either or both parent could have been of relatively recent African ancestry relocated to a European country. There's millions of people who fit that description, so simply saying Bond is Scot/Swiss does not narrow it down.
Just get this ideal actor to actually read the books, like Dalton did, and quit trying to imitate trendy nonFleming rival franchises. That's the biggest problem.
Otherwise all we know is father is from Scotland and mother from Switzerland. Either or both parent could have been of relatively recent African ancestry relocated to a European country. There's millions of people who fit that description, so simply saying Bond is Scot/Swiss does not narrow it down.
That can work today if the next Bond is a millennial, but highly unlike at the time Fleming's Bond was born. Bond's parents would have been born in Scotland and Switzerland in the late 19th century, when there would have been only a tiny handful of non-white people born in those countries. If Ian Fleming had a different ethnicity in mind than the people typically from Scotland and Switzerland back then, he certainly would have said it. Does anyone think Fleming could have meant a non-white person when describing people are Scottish and Swiss? This means that Ian Fleming meant Bond was white when he confirmed where Bond's parents were from. Today, people all over Europe are being born of non-white European-born parents. This means the next Bond could be black (or maybe even Asian) and meet the basic requirements from Fleming.
Thank you, Carratapus Potts. You bring up several interesting points and much of what you write makes sense to me. I'll comment on the part where I think you're wrong - the etnicity of Fleming's Bond.
We know the James Bond of the books isn't black or "coloured" precisely because nothing is said about the character's skin colour. This was the 50's and 60's and Fleming would have mentioned it if a Briton in his books wasn't white. Other characters in the UK, America, Japan (still a country that's very racist towards black people) and many of the places Bond visit would have reacted diferently to him if he wasn't white. You say Fleming wrote that Bond was "sunburnt", meaning tanned. You have to remember this was before mass tourism to Spain and other sunny destinations started. Bond was unusual in the Britain of the age because he could or had to spend much of the year abroad in places like the Bahamas and southern France. I guess only the upper class, missionaries, colonial civil servant, military personel stationed in the colonies and a few other groups were tanned back then.
Bond's father was a Scotsman of noble blood with a family crest. This has been made clear in the movies OHMSS, TWINE and SF. No-one with that background were anything but white. It would be very hard back then to find a Swiss woman who wasn't white, and if he did Andrew Bond would never be permitted to marry her and keep Skyfall Magnor and his social position.
I hope everyone understands I'm writing about how things were, not how I feel it should have been.
I won't stop watching Bond movies or being a Bond fan if the next actor cast is non-white, but I won't applauded the move. James Bond has a background and his family background has been a theme in the two last movies. I would welcome it if a new spy/action franchise with a lead who is black and/or a woman (Modesty Blaise!) comes allong. I think that would serve both the movies and women/black people much better than changing James Bond that drastically.
Bond's father was a Scotsman of noble blood with a family crest.
Fleming never actually says that. Here's the passage, starting with Griffin Or (from the College of Arms) -
'The title is extinct. Actually it's a baronetcy. Most desirable. But no doubt we can establish a relationship through a collateral branch. Now then'--he put his pince-nez very close to the page--'we have some ten different families of Bonds. The important one ended with Sir Thomas Bond, a most distinguished gentleman. He resided in Peckham. He had, alas, no issue'--the pince-nez gleamed encouragingly at Bond--'no legitimate issue that is. Of course in those days, ahem, morals were inclined to be laxer. Now if we could establish some connexion with Peckham...'
'I have no connexion with Peckham. Now, I...'
Griffon Or held up his hand. He said severely, 'Where did your parents come from, if I may ask? That, my dear fellow, is the first step in the chain. Then we can go back from there-- Somerset House, parish records, old tomb-stones. No doubt, with a good old English name like yours, we will get somewhere in the end.'
'My father was a Scot and my mother was Swiss. But the point is...'
'Quite, quite. You are wondering about the cost of the research. That, my dear fellow, we can leave until later. But, now tell me. From whereabouts in Scotland did your father come? That is important. The Scottish records are of course less fully documented than those from the South. In those days I am forced to admit that our cousins across the border were little more than savages.' Griffon Or bobbed his head politely. He gave a fleeting and, to Bond's eye, rather false smile. 'Very pleasant savages, of course, very brave and all that. But, alas, very weak at keeping up their records. More useful with the sword than with the pen, if I may say so. But perhaps your grandparents and their forebears came from the South?'
'My father came from the Highlands, from near Glencoe. But look here...'
But Griffon Or was not to be diverted from the scent. He pulled another thick book towards him. His finger ran down the page of small print. 'Hum. Hum. Hum. Yes, yes. Not very encouraging, I fear. Burke's General Armory gives more than ten different families bearing your name. But, alas, nothing in Scotland.'
[edit]
He reached for another volume that lay open on his desk and that he had obviously prepared for Bond's delectation. 'The coat of arms, for instance. Surely that must concern you, be at least of profound interest to your family, to your own children? Yes, here we are. "Argent on a chevron sable three bezants".' He held up the book so that Bond could see. 'A bezant is a golden ball, as I am sure you know. Three balls.'
Bond commented drily, 'That is certainly a valuable bonus'--the irony was lost on Griffon Or--'but I'm afraid I am still not interested. And I have no relatives and no children. Now about this man...'
Griffon Or broke in excitedly, 'And this charming motto of the line, "The World is not Enough". You do not wish to have the right to it?'
'It is an excellent motto which I shall certainly adopt,' said Bond curtly. He looked pointedly at his watch. 'Now, I'm afraid we really must get down to business. I have to report back to my Ministry.'
Good research. But it doesn't really change my point. Bond's father was Scottish upper class or at least upper middle class. Nothing other than white people would be accepted in the mid-20th century.
Besides, the movies have interpreted Fleming to mean James Bond was from a noble family, and that's what matters to the general cinema audience.
In fact, James Bond turns down the offer of a knighthood in TMWTGG.
[Paraphrasing- it goes on a bit]
M: The PM proposes to recommend to Her Majesty the immediate offer of a knighthood.
Bond: I beg you present my humble duty to Her Majesty and request that I be permitted to decline. I am a Scottish peasant and I will always feel at home being a Scottish peasant.
Fleming, TMWTGG, Chapter 17
And there is nothing in the movie series that contradicts that.
(Says the guy behind a series of The Adventures of Sir James Bond ) )
Comments
Than CR
Richard Madden's family, friends, pet dog, the girl he had a crush on at school, and some guy he once met on the London tube, all agree.
I don't think Daniel Craig is a particularly classy Bond. His take on the character seems more of a 'blunt instrument' kinda hero than a sophisticated one. Fleming described Bond as a blunt instrument but his Bond also had an appreciation for the finer things in life. I suppose if people like Craig then Elba won't be much different but it seems further proof of the deconstruction of the character. We're seeing the end of the sophisticated James Bond. I doubt it will ever return.
If there is a suitable black actor - one that has some classy sophistication for the role - sure, bring him on. But Idris Elba? Come on! He doesn't have the class - period. Life is too short for this nonsense. Sorry to be harsh, I'm sure Elba is a decent guy, but this is James Bond we're talking about - we have to be brutally honest how we feel.
There's a small part of me that wished Die Another Day was the final ever James Bond film. I feel recasting the role with Craig - (accepting he is popular) and now all this media talk of Elba taking over - has destroyed much of the character. Have you seen Henry Cavill's acting in Man From UNCLE. It's so stiff and horrible. He'd be terrible as Bond too.
Perhaps Bond should end? I love the old films but I wouldn't have been too upset if DAD was the last Bond film. Sure, it wasn't that great, but Brosnan felt a proper old school James Bond and that Bond is never coming. I can't see it coming back and I don't really care for reinvention type Bonds. Black Bond, blonde Bond, Cavill Bond, or some new guy Barbara Broccoli fancies. I wouldn't be surprised if the next Bond actor is picked cos Babs fancies him. Apparently she had the hots for Craig (could be rumour but who knows!). Anyway, sorry for the rant but many Star Wars fans hated The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It's proof a franchise can go on too long. Perhaps Bond should have ended with Cubby and John Glen? Bond is a 20th century character at heart. He doesn't really belong in the 21st century.
proof that simply having Fleming content is no guarantee.
But that wasn't the point of the question. If you feel DAD is more Flemingesqe than CR just turn the question around.
Perhaps we're in a situation the Bond producers found themselves in when making Diamonds Are Forever and there is no ideal candidate for a new Bond, which is why UA insisted on getting Connery back. It happens.
Besides, I think Bond needs a bit of street these days. The most famous Old Etonians in Britain are David Cameron, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson, which suggests the Eton brand is somewhat damaged. Nobody creating Bond these days would have the character being educated there without a lot of back-story adding some street-cred to his persona.
I would suggest this was true to an extent back in 1962, which is why the role went to an Edinburgh actor with a background as a seaman and bodybuilder rather than some smoothychops from RADA.
I want to see a James Bond that makes snobby comments about the wine he is drinking, that relies on his wits and less on his fists. It doesn't have to turn into Roger Moore territory, but a bit more 'fun' would be great, with a good balance of suspense. No more 'angst' in james Bond, not anylonger tortured or rogue. But simply a man on a mission, determined to succeed, but full of confidence, class, sophistication and intelligence to make him successful.
Think Connery in Dr No, FRWL, Goldfinger, Lazenby in OHMSS and even Pierce Brosnan, who despite his lack of good material, always seemed to have fun in the role he played, and demonstrated a combination of good looks, class and wits. That is the Bond I want to see. Less street thug, more gentleman but still ruthless spy style. Coming to think of it, I still think Connery's portrayal of Bond in Dr No is the most perfect adaptation for the screen.
1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Moore
I don't think Elba is too "street". He's a fine actor who can play that style convincingly if needed, just as he can play a Norse god (or rather the superhero version of it) or a space ship captain. I still don't wish him to be Bond, though.
Me neither. I feel DC's Bond has been multidimensional and complex, and I love the chemistry he's had with all the other cast members throughout his tenure so far... more than the last two incumbents IMO, and certainly more than Bourne and Hunt [well, certainly Bourne, Cruise's Hunt is a nice character actually]
This would be nice
Well my cat can bring his own tuxedo and can do a really mean look. Should I contact EON as his agent?
Yes! A Bond villain in his own right if ever I've seen one ... How do you live with a creature with that much ego?
My wife does the same to me... it works
Have a cat available ?
the films have strayed so far from Fleming, with the smooth comedy superman in the seventies and the rude antisocial brawler we have now, that it would be easy to have a black Bond who is closer to what Fleming wrote than many of the film interpretations.
Obviously depends on the actor. I'm not sure what current age-appropriate actor I would pick.
Casino Royale by definition is as close as we've got to Fleming in decades, plot-wise. But I never thought Craig's performance in that film was authentically Flemingesque, so yes its theoretically possible some ideal actor of colour could have got the character closer.
What specific proof within Fleming is there that Bond isn't black anyway? ok, he says some condescending things in LaLD, but he's also condescending to middle class Brits who get up early and commute to work. He's an equal opportunity condescender.
And Fleming has Bond getting sunburnt a lot. Fleming usually says sunburn when he means suntan, but still that speaks of pale sensitive skin.
Otherwise all we know is father is from Scotland and mother from Switzerland. Either or both parent could have been of relatively recent African ancestry relocated to a European country. There's millions of people who fit that description, so simply saying Bond is Scot/Swiss does not narrow it down.
Just get this ideal actor to actually read the books, like Dalton did, and quit trying to imitate trendy nonFleming rival franchises. That's the biggest problem.
That can work today if the next Bond is a millennial, but highly unlike at the time Fleming's Bond was born. Bond's parents would have been born in Scotland and Switzerland in the late 19th century, when there would have been only a tiny handful of non-white people born in those countries. If Ian Fleming had a different ethnicity in mind than the people typically from Scotland and Switzerland back then, he certainly would have said it. Does anyone think Fleming could have meant a non-white person when describing people are Scottish and Swiss? This means that Ian Fleming meant Bond was white when he confirmed where Bond's parents were from. Today, people all over Europe are being born of non-white European-born parents. This means the next Bond could be black (or maybe even Asian) and meet the basic requirements from Fleming.
We know the James Bond of the books isn't black or "coloured" precisely because nothing is said about the character's skin colour. This was the 50's and 60's and Fleming would have mentioned it if a Briton in his books wasn't white. Other characters in the UK, America, Japan (still a country that's very racist towards black people) and many of the places Bond visit would have reacted diferently to him if he wasn't white. You say Fleming wrote that Bond was "sunburnt", meaning tanned. You have to remember this was before mass tourism to Spain and other sunny destinations started. Bond was unusual in the Britain of the age because he could or had to spend much of the year abroad in places like the Bahamas and southern France. I guess only the upper class, missionaries, colonial civil servant, military personel stationed in the colonies and a few other groups were tanned back then.
Bond's father was a Scotsman of noble blood with a family crest. This has been made clear in the movies OHMSS, TWINE and SF. No-one with that background were anything but white. It would be very hard back then to find a Swiss woman who wasn't white, and if he did Andrew Bond would never be permitted to marry her and keep Skyfall Magnor and his social position.
I hope everyone understands I'm writing about how things were, not how I feel it should have been.
I won't stop watching Bond movies or being a Bond fan if the next actor cast is non-white, but I won't applauded the move. James Bond has a background and his family background has been a theme in the two last movies. I would welcome it if a new spy/action franchise with a lead who is black and/or a woman (Modesty Blaise!) comes allong. I think that would serve both the movies and women/black people much better than changing James Bond that drastically.
Fleming never actually says that. Here's the passage, starting with Griffin Or (from the College of Arms) -
'The title is extinct. Actually it's a baronetcy. Most desirable. But no doubt we can establish a relationship through a collateral branch. Now then'--he put his pince-nez very close to the page--'we have some ten different families of Bonds. The important one ended with Sir Thomas Bond, a most distinguished gentleman. He resided in Peckham. He had, alas, no issue'--the pince-nez gleamed encouragingly at Bond--'no legitimate issue that is. Of course in those days, ahem, morals were inclined to be laxer. Now if we could establish some connexion with Peckham...'
'I have no connexion with Peckham. Now, I...'
Griffon Or held up his hand. He said severely, 'Where did your parents come from, if I may ask? That, my dear fellow, is the first step in the chain. Then we can go back from there-- Somerset House, parish records, old tomb-stones. No doubt, with a good old English name like yours, we will get somewhere in the end.'
'My father was a Scot and my mother was Swiss. But the point is...'
'Quite, quite. You are wondering about the cost of the research. That, my dear fellow, we can leave until later. But, now tell me. From whereabouts in Scotland did your father come? That is important. The Scottish records are of course less fully documented than those from the South. In those days I am forced to admit that our cousins across the border were little more than savages.' Griffon Or bobbed his head politely. He gave a fleeting and, to Bond's eye, rather false smile. 'Very pleasant savages, of course, very brave and all that. But, alas, very weak at keeping up their records. More useful with the sword than with the pen, if I may say so. But perhaps your grandparents and their forebears came from the South?'
'My father came from the Highlands, from near Glencoe. But look here...'
But Griffon Or was not to be diverted from the scent. He pulled another thick book towards him. His finger ran down the page of small print. 'Hum. Hum. Hum. Yes, yes. Not very encouraging, I fear. Burke's General Armory gives more than ten different families bearing your name. But, alas, nothing in Scotland.'
[edit]
He reached for another volume that lay open on his desk and that he had obviously prepared for Bond's delectation. 'The coat of arms, for instance. Surely that must concern you, be at least of profound interest to your family, to your own children? Yes, here we are. "Argent on a chevron sable three bezants".' He held up the book so that Bond could see. 'A bezant is a golden ball, as I am sure you know. Three balls.'
Bond commented drily, 'That is certainly a valuable bonus'--the irony was lost on Griffon Or--'but I'm afraid I am still not interested. And I have no relatives and no children. Now about this man...'
Griffon Or broke in excitedly, 'And this charming motto of the line, "The World is not Enough". You do not wish to have the right to it?'
'It is an excellent motto which I shall certainly adopt,' said Bond curtly. He looked pointedly at his watch. 'Now, I'm afraid we really must get down to business. I have to report back to my Ministry.'
From Ian Fleming's OHMSS, Chapter 6.
Besides, the movies have interpreted Fleming to mean James Bond was from a noble family, and that's what matters to the general cinema audience.
[Paraphrasing- it goes on a bit]
M: The PM proposes to recommend to Her Majesty the immediate offer of a knighthood.
Bond: I beg you present my humble duty to Her Majesty and request that I be permitted to decline. I am a Scottish peasant and I will always feel at home being a Scottish peasant.
Fleming, TMWTGG, Chapter 17
And there is nothing in the movie series that contradicts that.
(Says the guy behind a series of The Adventures of Sir James Bond