Ed Bishop Interview

FF: "What about Mike Billington?"

Ed: "Yeah, Mike wore a full wig but I don't think that held him back at all. It was an era for that kind of approach of wigs, moustaches, beards and long hair. It was just in vogue at that time.

FF: "a good looking fellow was Mike though. Was there anything onscreen that we didn't know about? Was he a womaniser? Did he enjoy the company of ladies?"

Ed: "Well I don't know if he enjoyed the company of ladies but they certainly enjoyed the company of him."

Ed at this point smiles and winks.

Ed: "I don't know but I often told him that whatever it was he had he should to bottle it and sell it. Because it was incredible the appeal that women had for this guy and I think it was reciprocated. But I don't know, they were what was called the swinging 60's or 70's and all of that time he was a single young adult guy why not! We had a lot of beautiful girls on the show.

FF: "Very ambitious was he not"

Ed: "Michael wanted to get ahead in the business and I think that was one of the reasons we got along.

Some people have asked sometimes "did you really get along, was there any trouble?" But we were in a time trap because we were so busy making that series and this is something that I have mentioned at other conventions and things and when you interviewed me for your show on Sunday I used this example. Forgive me those of you who heard it it's a duplication. In the David Lean Film Bridge on the River Kwai they got 18 seconds of finished film a day. We had to get 5 minutes a day, finished in the can. You think of the difference between 18 seconds and 300 seconds and there is really no time for anything except work, say your lines, cut, print you move on over. It sounds extraordinary to say but we just did not have any time for bitchiness or jealousy or any thing like that. I have always got along with Michael very well because I have always been very lazy professionally. You know so long as I was making a living and the kids were ok, I was happy. But Michael, I envied him in this regard, wanted to go to the top and what the hell's the point of doing anything unless you get to be the best. Whether it's a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, a brain surgeon, an actor or whatever. But I was always kind of a drifter."

FF: "But he nearly got to the top at one stage"

Ed: "Oh yes, fascinating. I flew to Los Angeles with him to go to a convention a couple of years back and it was really the first time in a long time. Must have been since we finished the series some 25 years that I had. Whatever it is, nine hours to actually sit there and talk to him. He told me about his relationship with the Bond picture and the family because he had a sweetheart who now produces the Bond pictures. Cubby Broccoli's daughter, they lived together in L.A. And he had been tested, screen tested seven times to play James Bond and you know he could never really get the reason why he didn't make it. And you know that at one time he literally came within half an inch, because they had used Lazenby and apparently they were so disappointed with him, his attitude and all the rest of it that they went with an established professional, whose track record they knew like Roger Moore. But for a long time they were just wavering whether to go with Michael or not. I said, Michael you must write that book. I mean there are people would be really interested. You know you talk about background. He was in L.A and they flew him over to Paris, France. Can you believe that! For a screen test with about a dozen girls who all wanted to be in the Bond picture, can you imagine they flew him all that way just to do this screen test with these girls"

FF: "And you suggested a title for the book."

Ed: "Yeah, that's right, I did. 'The Bond That Never Was'. Now would you buy a book with that title? Maybe not?"

(Full transcript here).