Live and Let Die introduced the world to a new iconic James Bond, when Moore replaced Sean Connery after briefly returning in Diamonds Are Forever following the shock departure of George Lazenby. It had been a turbulent few years for the 007 franchise, but a new era was about to begin. After previous gritty and gritty incarnations, Moore would bring a lighter and more playful approach to the role, with even the trailer gleefully stating that the film would offer “more, a lot of Moore.” Seymour herself said: “Each one is uniquely suited to that era…Roger was much more tongue-in-cheek and Austin Powers-ey.” And the fun spilled over into the action between the sheets.
The film made a global star out of the eternally young Seymour, who turned 72 this week. He was only 20 years old when he got the big break from him in the war drama The Only Way. Two years later, she starred in the television show The Onedin Line when she came to the big screen as the seductive and mysterious Solitaire in Live And Let Die.
Seymour said, “They announced to the world press that it was me, who had the part, and it was all over the papers, on the front page for days. It was so bizarre.”
The British star recalled how the film studio also wanted her to have a sexier profile for a promotional item: “They hired this guy, Terry O’Neil, great photographer, to take pictures of me and spend three days with me and he couldn’t “. find lewd and sexy things because I play a sex symbol, right? But I also play a virgin. So I didn’t know what to say.”
Added Seymour: “They wrote on this thing, ‘She loves to run naked through the tall grass.’ a little worried about you running through the tall grass. And while we’re at it, in the book it says you’re being dragged behind a boat on a coral reef with sharks, so I just want to mention that to you.'”
The coral reef scene Jane spoke of was later used in For Your Eyes Only with a different Bond girl, but it still ended with the requisite Bond sex scene, though Moore put his own unique spin on it when it came to to film.
In the famous poppy field scene, they both thought a line in the script was pretty ridiculous and got so upset that it was difficult to complete filming.
Seymour said, “We couldn’t look each other in the eye without completely losing our temper. We ended up like a couple of teenagers and I actually got kicked off the set.”
The actress also revealed how they both contracted dysentery and were bedridden, suffering greatly in a trailer when it was hit by a car in a freak accident.
Both of them were thrown to the ground on top of each other and, once the shock wore off, they once again collapsed into fits of laughter.
Most of all though, Moore was always a total gentleman. With so many horrifying stories of actresses being abused in Hollywood, including Seymour herself, he praised how he constantly checked to make sure she was safe on set.
She said: “Roger was fantastic with me. When I was in New Orleans or in Jamaica, he would make sure every night that I was okay and safe, check on who I was with, include me in whatever social thing that happened.”
The friendship flourished over the next few decades. Seymour last saw her friend in June 2016 at an event where they were able to catch up for 45 minutes away from the crowd.
After his death, she said, “I’m so glad I spent that time with him. We talked about life and the past and took some fun photos together. I’m sad (about Moore’s death), I’m so sad.” “
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