Who is the real James Bond?

The legend of James Bond continues with the release of the 22nd ‘official’ James Bond movie, “Quantum of Solace.” Again starring Daniel Craig – the atypical blue-eyed, blond-haired Bond – the story is one of revenge, action and a tiny dose of consolation. But let’s face it, a movie called “Tiny Dose of Consolation” wouldn’t go boffo at the box office, and there’s every expectation “Quantum of Solace” will.

Craig succeeded Pierce Brosnan as Bond in 2006, in “Casino Royale,” and despite initial misgivings has won over the James Bond fanbase. It’s a notoriously loyal fanbase, however—loyal not to the latest Bond, or to the most long-lasting, but to the first: Sean Connery, the man who created the role on screen in 1962’s “Dr. No.” An unknown at the time – his biggest previous film was “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” for the Disney studios – Connery went on to a lengthy and successful career as an international film star, and only recently retired (he’s now 78).

But it might be a surprise to learn that there were more than just six actors to portray Bond, and in fact that there were at least three other James Bond movies not made by the Saltzman-Broccoli production company EON, which brings us “Quantum of Solace.” The first Ian Fleming spy novel was “Casino Royale,” published in 1952, and the title escaped the rights buy-out of Fleming’s canon by EON in 1960. So there were two ‘non-canonical’ James Bond versions of Casino Royale, plus a 1983 remake of “Thunderball” under another title, “Never Say Never Again,” starring – you guessed it – Sean Connery.

There are other trivia in the world of Bond. For instance,

• Ursula Andress, the first ‘Bond Girl’, had her voice dubbed in ‘Dr. No’ because her accent was too thick. (That's her own voice in 1967's 'Casino Royale.')

• Chris Blackwell, the music producer who discovered Bob Marley and introduced the world to reggae, was the production manager in Jamaica on that first film.

• Cary Grant was the first choice to portray the sexy secret agent, but he was such a big star the producers knew they’d only get him for one movie, not a series.

• And yes, series producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli is from the same family that gave your dinner its favorite vegetable.

But in answer to the biggest question of all: Who was the original James Bond? You’ll just have to watch the slide show to find out. The answer may surprise you.