Our story of the month: May 2005

After seven years and 118 episodes of The Saint, I was looking for a new challenge. It was 1970. EMI had recently appointed Bryan Forbes as their head of production at Elstree Studios and we knew each other well from our time in the Combined Services Entertainment Unit. So I was intrigued when he called to ask if I'd heard of a book called The Case of Mr Pelham. He'd just given the green light to a script based on it, with producer Michael Relph and director Basil Dearden heading it up. They were two of Britain's most successful film-makers. Their script was called The Man Who Haunted Himself.

It was one of the best scripts I'd ever read, with a very intriguing story: Harold Pelham momentarily "dies" on an operating table after a car accident, and his doppelgänger is released into the world. He begins assuming Pelham's identity amongst friends, colleagues and even his family. Pelham (the real Pelham) is pushed towards insanity. It was a role that called for emotion, drama and great intensity; a role that needed an actor. I had that on my passport, so felt somewhat qualified.

When asked about the film nowadays, I always reflect that it was one of the few times I was allowed to act. It's a terrible admission from someone who has made a living from walking in front of cameras. Though, in my defence, I'd previously been cast in roles that required a relatively straightforward approach, either as a romantic lead, heroic lead - or just holding a spear, as I did in my first movie. I'd never been dramatically stretched, as they say.

Basil Dearden was a wonderful director. He gave me a great confi dence, as indeed he did the other actors. The great tragedy is that a short time after filming wrapped, he was driving home on the same stretch of the M4 where we'd filmed Pelham's accident, and his car careered out of control. He was killed. The film industry was robbed of a great talent that day.

Armed with renewed confidence, I briefly returned to television to produce, (occasionally) direct and star alongside Tony Curtis in The Persuaders. It was a joyous year, spent at Pinewood and in the south of France - a dream job. Then I had a call from Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Sean Connery had said "never again" to the role of James Bond, and would I talk to them about taking up the Walther PPK? Having completed The Persuaders, I was available and certainly interested. I obviously did something right, as they employed me for seven movies over 12 years.
Any actor who says they wouldn't want to play Bond is lying. It is the role of a lifetime, and as well as financial security, it brought me the ability to choose other terrific roles in between outings.

I look back with great affection on all my movies and television work. Among them all, many say my best role was in The Man Who Haunted Himself. Being a modest actor, I won't disagree.

Read our previous stories of the month

August - September - October - November - December 2003

January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December 2004

January - February - March - April 2005