Babs Broccoli: Interview with the Vamp

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16 August 2012

Barbara Broccoli: I thought James Bond was a real person until I was seven

Nobody does it better — Skyfall producer Barbara Broccoli grew up with 007. The ultimate Bond girl tells Liz Hoggard about life on the film set and why Fleming was really a feminist



James Bond film producer Barbara Broccoli is recalling the moment the Queen made her Bond debut during the Olympics opening ceremony. “The taxi pulled up in front of Buckingham Palace and as soon as the audience saw the outline of that leg, they knew it was Daniel. We saw the back of the Queen and everyone I’m sure thought, ‘It’s Helen Mirren.’ And when she turned around it was like a volcanic eruption. How wonderful of her to have done it.”

The daughter of veteran Bond producer Albert R “Cubby” Broccoli and actress Dana Wilson, Broccoli, 52, grew up in a household where James Bond was talked about so much she thought he was a real person until she was seven.

Her first memory was watching the filming of the Japanese tea ceremony in You Only Live Twice with Sean Connery. When her father died in 1996, Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G Wilson took over the 007 franchise.

This year they celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bond. The new movie, Skyfall, released in October, is directed by Sam Mendes.

Earlier this month the trailer was released. We now know that Bond’s loyalty to Judi Dench’s M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. And Bond fakes his own death.

London is a central character in the movie. Filming has taken place in Whitehall, Vauxhall Cross’s MI6 headquarters, Pinewood Studios and the Underground.

As with The Dark Knight Rises, with its scenes of bloated bankers and a nascent Occupy movement, she believes Skyfall has a lot to say about contemporary evil.

“It’s extraordinary Ian Fleming wrote the books 60 years ago. It feels like we’re in the right groove now for what he had to say about how real villainy is coming from individuals — not just political states, but individuals who are wielding all sorts of treacherous plans on the earth.”

In fact Skyfall is not based on any Fleming story — there aren’t any left — but they have tried to bring some of the feelings of older Bond movies into the film. “What distinguishes Bond from other action heroes is the tongue-in-cheek Britishness.”

Q is back — played as a super-nerdy master of spy technology by Ben Whishaw (The Hour, The Hollow Crown). Good news for fans who felt Bond had become a Jason Bourne-style automaton in the last film, Quantum of Solace. We need more wit and panache — and Mendes sounds the man to deliver it.

“When Daniel suggested him, we were unbelievably thrilled that he would be interested because he is such a fine director.”

Of course Broccoli was instrumental in casting Craig in the first place. “One of the things about Daniel is he’s let us into Bond’s inner life, we see and feel him from a much more intimate place. In the books you get a look into his inner conflicts and fears and anxieties, but it’s very hard to put that on the screen without making him look neurotic as a leading man. A lot of the books focus on accidie — this revulsion he had for his profession; it’s not easy killing people. He fell completely in love with Vesper and she betrayed him, so he realises, from that point, he can never be susceptible to a relationship again.”

That loneliness fuels Bond’s hedonism. “He has this voracious appetite for life; he’s going to drink and eat and have sex because he doesn’t know in the next moment if he’s going to be killed. The black humour is his way of dealing with death, he laughs in its face.”

Every Bond film has a great villain. This time it’s Oscar-winning Spanish actor Javier Bardem playing Raoul Silva.

“Javier is really extraordinary in this film and the blonde wig he wears is part of his story. He spends a lot of time creating a character, and it’s something he devised with Sam. It’s very much his mystique — it gives an unnatural element. Javier is a true chameleon. You imagine an actor like that would be very intense all the time, but off duty he’s a delight. Getting up in the morning to go to work to spend the day with Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem is pretty fun,” she teases.

Broccoli’s other masterstroke was to make M, the head of the British secret service, a woman — two years after Stella Rimington became DG of MI5 in 1993.

So it’s fascinating we finally get M’s back story in Skyfall. In the trailer we see Silva — who may or may not have worked for MI6 — taunting Bond about M’s betrayal: “Mommy has been very bad.”

“M has always been the one authority figure in Bond’s life. She is the only person he can really trust. I think this story, which I’m not going to tell you very much about,” she says with a glint, “is the heart of the movie. She represents many things to him and it’s wonderful territory to explore. And obviously Sam had directed Judi and Daniel before, so he was excited about working it through emotionally.”

We can also credit Broccoli with tackling the sexism of 007. “Fortunately, the days of Bond girls standing around with a clipboard are over,” she says drily.

But she knows Bond isn’t Bond without glamour and gorgeous women. In Skyfall, Naomie Harris plays field agent Eve, while French actress Bérénice Marlohe is the enigmatic Sévérine.

“Actually, when you read the early books, and watch the early films, the women were very interesting, exotic, complicated people. I always get into such an issue when I talk about these things,” she adds, knowing any quote will make headlines around the world. “But they were pretty strong in their own right. Yes, okay, Pussy Galore was a pilot and gay, but that was pretty extraordinary for the time, the fact that she fell into bed with Bond.

“And look at Ursula Andress [emerging from the sea in Dr No]. Yes, she’s the most stunningly beautiful person in the whole world but her look was very different to what had come before. First of all, she had a very athletic body, and she was also incredibly natural — no make-up, no false eyelashes. I think that image of natural beauty is one we appreciate.”

One senses that Broccoli, elegant, charming, has a core of steel. In the early days, she watched Craig’s back, accompanying him to press conferences, batting off the ferocious criticism that first greeted his casting for Casino Royale.

“It’s absurd,” she shudders slightly. “I think that’s the trouble with the internet now. Everyone has an equal voice so people read something — supposedly written with great authority — and it’s by a 12-year-old in a little town some place in the United States who’s never seen Daniel Craig, doesn’t know what he’s capable of, and starts this fire. And then it’s given prominence, which is bizarre. Of course we were making the film and we knew what we had, so we just ignored it.”

Divorced, with a grown-up daughter, Broccoli works long days. As well as overseeing the end of shooting on Skyfall, she is co-producing the stage version of Chariots of Fire.

Our interview takes place at the Gielgud Theatre, which has been turned into a race track for the 1924 Paris Olympics. There’s something thrilling about watching the young actors playing runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell as they thunder around the track.

The play brings back memories for Broccoli, who co-produced the original 1981 film with her friend Dodi Fayed, who died in the crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales.

“Dodi really identified with the character of Harold Abrahams, a Lithuanian Jew struggling for acceptance in Britain. Dodi had a similar understanding of knowing what it was like to struggle to be accepted. And he really appreciated Eric Liddell’s strong belief in not wanting to run on a Sunday. He was touched by the story.”

She and the film’s director Hugh Hudson felt they could give people an immersive theatrical experience as thrilling as the Games themselves. “The audience can feel the actors’ heat, sweat, exertion.”

And of course life imitates art. Vangelis’s music featured at the opening ceremony and she admits her heart misses a beat every time it’s played during medal presentations. “Vangelis just hits that God spot. It’s the anthem of excellence.”

The play’s message of self-sacrifice and sportsmanship resonates at today’s Games she believes. “So many athletes are coming from war-torn countries. What it must take for them to get here.”

Born in LA, Broccoli grew up in London. Aged 17 she studied motion picture and television communications at Loyola Marymount University in the US, then joined Eon Productions at Pinewood, responsible for Bond films since 1962, first working in publicity, before she began producing.

She was made an OBE in 2008 and has been mentoring young directors. “I despair because women certainly have their voice in so many other areas. I don’t know why it’s been so difficult to get women into the industry in terms of directing film.”

If Kathryn Bigelow can direct the all-male Hurt Locker, how about a female director for Bond? “I’d be thrilled.”

But she is equally passionate about theatre: she recently watched Mark Rylance as Richard III at the Globe. “That’s what so brilliant about Britain. Theatre is the backbone of the industry.”

The joke is that Skyfall has so many great British stage actors — Dench, Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Helen McCrory, Albert Finney (“be still my beating heart,” jokes Broccoli) — it’s nicknamed the National Theatre of Bond.

“We sat down and said, ‘In a perfect world, who would we want for all these roles?’ and drew up a list. And we got everybody. You know, it’s unheard of.”

Such is the passion Bond arouses. I tell her every time I go to the Barbican there’s another middle-aged man having his photograph taken next to the Aston Martin from Goldfinger, the star exhibit in the Bond exhibition.

“It’s so funny, the Bond movies reduce everybody to their 12-year-old self,” she laughs. “Sam Mendes is like a 12-year-old boy making a Bond film!”

http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/barbara-broccoli-i-thought-james-bond-was-a-real-person-until-i-was-seven-8052861.html

We can also credit Broccoli with tackling the sexism of 007. “Fortunately, the days of Bond girls standing around with a clipboard are over,” she says drily.

What the hell is she talking about? Which Bond Girls stood around with clipboards? Okay, Holly Goodhead, but she WAS a fully trained astronaut and a CIA operative. My God! What does Babs want?!?

Once again Barbara shows she understands NOTHING about James Bond. She doesn't get it, she's embarrassed by it....why continue holding on to the franchise? Why not sell it to someone who actually gives a damn?

Given her praise of Bond girls in the 60s, I'm thinking that's a jab at the bimbos of the 70s.


Also, what does everyone think of the idea of a woman directing a Bond picture?

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

We can also credit Broccoli with tackling the sexism of 007. “Fortunately, the days of Bond girls standing around with a clipboard are over,” she says drily.

What the hell is she talking about? Which Bond Girls stood around with clipboards? Okay, Holly Goodhead, but she WAS a fully trained astronaut and a CIA operative. My God! What does Babs want?!?

Once again Barbara shows she understands NOTHING about James Bond. She doesn't get it, she's embarrassed by it....why continue holding on to the franchise? Why not sell it to someone who actually gives a damn?

Meh. Outside of that quote, it's not a terribly alarming interview. Not reassuring, but not alarming either. But of course, she's totally wrong when she says that Vesper's betrayal of Bond caused him to foreswear serious relationships with women. Has Babs never heard of Tracy Bond?

Also, I love Hoggard's contrast of Bond being shorn of sexism with his continued attraction to beautiful, glamorous women. How revealing--feminism is indeed in conflict with heterosexual attraction. All those fencesitters on feminism should take note.

Python wrote:

Given her praise of Bond girls in the 60s, I'm thinking that's a jab at the bimbos of the 70s.

But I don't think, pound-for-pound, there were any more bimbos in the 70's than there were in the 60's. In fact, I think the whole "Bond bimbo" allegation has been hyped and mythologized. There were very few true idiots, or "bimbos" in the entire series. The only truly idiotic, usless bimbo that I can think of off-hand was Mary Goodnight. Moore's leading women were: virginal fortune teller/girlfriend (Solitaire), field agent (Goodnight), KGB counterpart XXX (Anya), CIA counterpart (Holly Goodhead), vengeful Greek heiress (Melina), international jewel smuggler (Octopussy) and state geologist (Stacy Sutton).

If Barbara Broccoli thinks that a bimbo equals a sexy, beautiful actress that appeals to men's basic desires, then she condemns the whole series, because even the most liberated, intelligent and capable Bond women were still sex objects to Bond. At the end of the day these women are still beautiful to look at; Bond isn't shagging heavy or over-weight women or the elderly.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Also, I love Hoggard's contrast of Bond being shorn of sexism with his continued attraction to beautiful, glamorous women. How revealing--feminism is indeed in conflict with heterosexual attraction. All those fencesitters on feminism should take note.

Excellent point. Which only serves to further prove that modern day feminism isn't about "empowering" women but making sure the ugly and unattractive women among us can get access to jobs that might not otherwise be able to. And yes, I'm going to hell for making that statement!

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Python wrote:

Given her praise of Bond girls in the 60s, I'm thinking that's a jab at the bimbos of the 70s.

But I don't think, pound-for-pound, there were any more bimbos in the 70's than there were in the 60's. In fact, I think the whole "Bond bimbo" allegation has been hyped and mythologized. There were very few true idiots, or "bimbos" in the entire series. The only truly idiotic, usless bimbo that I can think of off-hand was Mary Goodnight. Moore's leading women were: virginal fortune teller/girlfriend (Solitaire), field agent (Goodnight), KGB counterpart XXX (Anya), CIA counterpart (Holly Goodhead), vengeful Greek heiress (Melina), international jewel smuggler (Octopussy) and state geologist (Stacy Sutton).

If Barbara Broccoli thinks that a bimbo equals a sexy, beautiful actress that appeals to men's basic desires, then she condemns the whole series, because even the most liberated, intelligent and capable Bond women were still sex objects to Bond. At the end of the day these women are still beautiful to look at; Bond isn't shagging heavy or over-weight women or the elderly.

Agreed 100%.

“He has this voracious appetite for life; he’s going to drink and eat and have sex because he doesn’t know in the next moment if he’s going to be killed. The black humour is his way of dealing with death, he laughs in its face.”

There'll be many who'll be glad to hear her say that, I'm guessing.

Just for the record: I'd probably do 'er.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

If Barbara Broccoli thinks that a bimbo equals a sexy, beautiful actress that appeals to men's basic desires, then she condemns the whole series, because even the most liberated, intelligent and capable Bond women were still sex objects to Bond. At the end of the day these women are still beautiful to look at; Bond isn't shagging heavy or over-weight women or the elderly.

Agreed 100%.

There's a difference between a character being written as a bimbo, or airhead, and the actress just failing to give a good performance. Christmas Jones is not a bimbo or an airhead, but she's not convincingly played by Denise Richards either.

Kara Milovy is not a super-secret agent, but a naive, sheltered young woman and civilian. Would she qualify as a 'clipboard bimbo' according to Barbara Broccoli? Maryam D'abo gave a very credible performance as an innocent cellist caught up in international intrigue. She didn't climb down walls like Spider-Man Wai Lin or dive 200 feet off the top of a Cuban island fortress like Jinx, but I rate Kara among my top five Bond Girls, whereas Jinx and Wai Lin are more towards the middle.

I just think these interviews Barbara does do her a disservice. She's better off keeping quiet about the "Bond sexism" and issues of feminist equality. And Ian Fleming was NOT a feminist; certainly not according to the modern-day understanding of feminism that Barbara claims to espouse. Once again Barbara tries to justify having ownership of a franchise that seemingly goes against her expressly stated political beliefs, as if the Bond series needs apologizing for. Barbara could learn a thing or two from Octopussy, who felt no need to apologize to Bond for what she was. If you're going to make Bond movies quit trying to win over the politically-correct, limousine-liberal, champagne-Socialist, cocktail-Communist crowds that she dines with in Hollywood.

Christmas Jones was not a bimbo, but Denise Richards was. And as a poor actress, she was unable to rise above her essence.

Agreed on Kara. But in Babs world I suspect no woman is supposed to be sheltered, let alone naive. All women are to be worldly and shrewd.

I also agree that the notion Fleming was a feminist is laughable. I could easily quote chapter and verse showing he was anything but. And, somewhat in defense of Babs, I don't think she ever claims Fleming was a feminist in that interview. That was just a stupid sub-header tacked on by a silly editor desperately attempting to coopt Fleming to the Leftist cause.

I'd agree that Anya Amassiveforehead and Stacey Slutton were bimbos. I'd do 'em, but they didn't have much going on upstairs, despite their qualifications and Teleprompter-read lines.

I think to say Fleming was a feminist isn't actually indicative of what she really believes to be honest. I'm not happy with some choices she's made, but ultimately, she's a saleswoman. This interview would do extraordinarily well with feminists, and get their bums in seats watching Skyfall because of it. With the mega bucks made from Batman, The Avengers, Hunger Games, etc., she's going to want her film to compete with their gross box office. She's knows that the the large fan base of Bond films will watch it regardless - feminists? Not so much.

However, if she actually thinks that Fleming was a feminist... she shouldn't be producing Bond films.

FieldsMan wrote:

This interview would do extraordinarily well with feminists, and get their bums in seats watching Skyfall because of it.

It didn't work out last time.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3024355/James-Bond-girls-are-feminist-icons-says-Cubby-Broccolis-daughter.html

Still, half a billion at the box office was great in '08. The article won't hurt the publicity for the film - especially with their photo released of Craig by the pool. Fans will still go - even Lazenby. - and the chances of a feminist going is stronger than not mentioning it at all. And with the current trends of visiting the cinema for two hours of affordable entertainment, and with the hype surrounding the other blockbusters, it was a great business move for her to do so in regards to luring feminists.

But like I said, so long as she doesn't actually believe it, the franchise should still be okay ;)

Perilagu Khan wrote:

I also agree that the notion Fleming was a feminist is laughable. I could easily quote chapter and verse showing he was anything but. And, somewhat in defense of Babs, I don't think she ever claims Fleming was a feminist in that interview. That was just a stupid sub-header tacked on by a silly editor desperately attempting to coopt Fleming to the Leftist cause.

Yeah, she really just says Fleming wrote strong female characters.

For the most part its a good interview, the words are there but the evidence of the recent past makes me wonder whether she takes responsibility for the need t voice them? imo Bond has lost a lot of his identity by their choices and now its time to get some individuality back...wonderful stuff to hear but really the point is not to treat it's past with such contempt and perhaps you won't be placed in a position where you need to get anything back etc.

Equally Bimbo casting is rife in her tenure why else would stunt roles like Terry Hatcher, Denise Richards and Halle Berry exist, ultimately the bimbo factor seems to lead the casting regardless of the suitability for the role, or the integrity of the writing supporting it.

No problem at all with a female director, again why even bring it up as a potential issue - that says more about Barbarah herself than anyone else surely - just employ the right person for their job.

I seriously doubt Babs is gunning for the almighty feminist demographic.

I think that Babs might be drinking Craig under the table there before taking him back home to her house.

Feminist my arse!!

Could be doing something else under the table.

PS--A little makeup wouldn't go amiss on her.

lachesis wrote:

Equally Bimbo casting is rife in her tenure why else would stunt roles like Terry Hatcher, Denise Richards and Halle Berry exist,

I STRONGLY object to the label of "bimbo" being attached to any one of those actresses/characters. They were not stupid and did not act like airheads. I've never understood the hate for Teri Hatcher in that role. Yes the role was "needy" and "clingy", but that's also the way she was written, and if you can't stand the film version of Paris Carver then you definitely don't want to read the first drafts of TOMORROW NEVER LIES, because she was even worse. Don't blame Hatcher.

Same with Richards. The role was extremely underwritten from the very first draft, and even Dana Stevens could not significantly improve the role on rewrites. It was a lackluster character played by a limited actress. But she wasn't a bimbo.

And I don't get the "bimbo" label for Halle Berry's character either. What idiotic, clueless situations did she get herself into?

There always seems to be a lot of bias against the American actresses who have been cast in the series, but each of them did at least bring a pre-existing fan base to the theater.

I have no bias against American actresses (Carey Lowell and Jill St. John are my favs- even though Tiffany turns into a bimbo during the last act), but I do have bias against bad actresses. The actress who played Stacey was atrocious, worse than Richards (who I thought was just mediocre).

I agree that American actresses in Bond have tended to be rather unsuccessful. Not because they're Yanks, but because, as Python says, they were poor actresses. And while I have nothing against American actresses in Bond per se, I do find obscure European actresses to be more exotic and in keeping with the Bondian/Fleming spirit. Very much looking forward to seeing what this Berenice Marlohe can do.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

lachesis wrote:

Equally Bimbo casting is rife in her tenure why else would stunt roles like Terry Hatcher, Denise Richards and Halle Berry exist,

I STRONGLY object to the label of "bimbo" being attached to any one of those actresses/characters. They were not stupid and did not act like airheads. I've never understood the hate for Teri Hatcher in that role. Yes the role was "needy" and "clingy", but that's also the way she was written, and if you can't stand the film version of Paris Carver then you definitely don't want to read the first drafts of TOMORROW NEVER LIES, because she was even worse. Don't blame Hatcher.

Same with Richards. The role was extremely underwritten from the very first draft, and even Dana Stevens could not significantly improve the role on rewrites. It was a lackluster character played by a limited actress. But she wasn't a bimbo.

And I don't get the "bimbo" label for Halle Berry's character either. What idiotic, clueless situations did she get herself into?

There always seems to be a lot of bias against the American actresses who have been cast in the series, but each of them did at least bring a pre-existing fan base to the theater.

My apologies for any misinterpretation but my reference to 'bimbo casting' is not meant literally rather related that casts an actress for superficial reasons or as a cynical marketing ploy. There is nothing inherently wrong with these actresses in the right role, and I agree they certain had no favours from the scripts they were given, but i feel they are there more for who they are away from Bond than for what they bring to the role as written. They may not play bimbo's in the literal sense but the mentality that shoehorns them into their respective films treats them as such.

As for American actresses I have no such hang ups, Jill St John, Lois Chiles, and Carey Lowell rank well above average in terms of my fave Bond girls and, among those that might have been imo Kristina Waybourn is infinitely prefreable to the title character in Octopussy.

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among those that might have been imo Kristina Waybourn is infinitely prefreable to the title character in Octopussy.

Maud Adams is infinitesimally more bangable than that woman with the alien forehead and receding hairline.