He’s Britain’s coolest secret agent but did you know that if James Bond were real, he’d be getting a telegram from the Queen this year?
James Bond is 100 and the Sun on Sunday commissioned me to put together this piece celebrating his milestone birthday.
I interviewed James Bond expert Professor James Chapman from Leicester University who has spent two decades studying the films and books.
And along with journalist and author Doug Wight, we looked at the best of the Bond Girls, the baddies and 100 Bond facts.
Media historian and Bond author Professor James Chapman confirmed: “Bond was born in 1918 making this year his centenary.
“In Moonraker which was published in 1955 there’s a reference that Bond was eight years away from the retirement age for an agent which is 45 which would have made him 37.
“So while Bond in the films and books never ages, if he were real he would be 100.”
But Professor Chapman also told us that Britain’s most famous spy would also be grumpy.
The film studies lecturer from Leicester Uni, said: “Bond wouldn’t have wanted to live to 100, he would have wanted to die on the job.
“But if he did reach 100, he would have a lunch with Bill Tanner, who was the Secret Service Chief of Staff and is Bond’s best friend. He has very few friends and very little social life outside of the Secret Service.
“Although everyone thinks his drink of choice is a vodka martini, he would drink champagne with his dinner and then American bourbon, and would eat very plain scrambled eggs.
“He’d be a crotchety old man probably. Although as a staunch Monarchist, he would appreciate a telegram from the Queen.
“I think he’d want to be playing golf and cards to high stakes.
“He’d be chasing and seducing women, and do the same things as he did in the books and the films, but just at a lesser pace.”
You can read the full article here.
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