is one of the most iconc characters ever to grace a cinema screen and it appears the character could actually be based on another icon – actor Christopher Lee.
Christopher, who appeared in the Bond movie The Man With the Golden Gun, was a step-cousin and golfing partner of James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
While Ian claimed the spy was based on a number of people includng his own brother many fans are convinced the character owes a huge debt to Christopher who has more than a little in common with Bond.
The legendary actor starred in more than 250 films across his eight decade career, including the Hammer Horror, Lord of the Rings, and franchises.
He is probably best known for playing Dracula but he also had a distingushed military career during the war and many details of his efforts are still top secret which has led many people to make the connection with the super spy.
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Christopher Lee appeared in the James Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun (Image: Getty)
He served in the Royal Air Force, eventually leaving the service with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Although he rarely spoke of his service it is believed he helped track down and assassinate Nazi war criminals.
The star was fluent in several languages which made him attractive to the secret service who recruited him for missions and he did admit to being involved with the special forces.
It is known he volunteered to fight the Soviets in Finland in 1939, but did not see action in the campaign. His commander, Sir Ormonde Winter, known as ‘O’, who was the former head of intelligence in Dublin Castle is beleived to be one of the inspirations for the character of ‘M’.
While he shared many traits with the tall, dark and suave Bond it was a different role he was considered for when the books were set to hit the big screen.
His cousin suggested that he should play the role of Dr. Julius No in the 1962 film Dr. No which saw originate the big screen incarnation of the super spy.
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There have been six different James Bond actors including Roger Moore and Daniel Craig (Image: Getty)
However, the role instead went to Joseph Wiseman and Christopher later said it was because Ian had simply forgotten to mention his name to the producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.
He eventually found hsi way into the franchise playing Francisco Scaramanga in 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun, which saw him play alongside his long time friend, , who had taken over the role of Bond by that point.
It was a role he would revisit in 2005 for the video game, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent making him the only actor, besides Judi Dench who played M, to return to their role as several of the other characters featured in the game had been portrayed on screen by actors who had already passed away.
Christopher died of heart failure in June 2015 at the age of 93.