Sam Mendes says Sean Connery Skyfall cameo was discussed

News
By published

But admits return of former Bond would have been ‘problematic’

[brightcove]1763077002001[/brightcove]

Skyfall flirted with a Sean Connery cameo, according to director Sam Mendes in an interview with The Huffington Post .

Be warned that this story contains minor spoilers for Skyfall .

As unlikely as it sounds, it seems the return of the original James Bond was considered (as if there wasn’t enough 50th anniversary nostalgia in the film as it stands).

Although it would have meant the actor would have to take a retirement-sabbatical, Connery’s name was mentioned in connection with the Albert Finney role.

When THP asked Mendes if there was any thought of approaching Connery for the role of Kincade, the gamekeeper on Bond’s Scottish family estate, the director responded:

“There was a definite discussion about that - way, way early on. But I think that's problematic. Because, to me, it becomes too... it would take you out of the movie. Connery is Bond and he's not going to come back as another character. It's like, he's been there.

“So, it was a very brief flirtation with that thought, but it was never going to happen, because I thought it would distract.”

As smile-inducing as thought of Connery returning to the franchise is, we have to agree with Mendes on this one. It’d have been a meta-step too far.

Skyfall is currently smashing box-office records in the UK, and will open in the US on 9 November 2012.

Read our official Skyfall review .

Matt Maytum
Matt Maytum

Matt Maytum is the former Editor of Total Film magazine. Over the past decade, Matt has worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.