The Man with the Golden Gun Cast

The Man with the Golden Gun Cast

The 1974 Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, is renowned for its enterprising action sequence and its distinctively blemish-free cast. This cult movie, directed by Guy Hamilton, enthralled audiences all over the world and helped Roger Moore cement his place firmly as 007.

Moore had been making waves ever since his first Bond outing in 1973’s Live and Let Die, and this movie did nothing but raise the level of anticipation around him. As 007, he devotedly travels North Africa and Asia to hunt down his nemesis Francisco Scaramanga played by Christopher Lee.

Christopher Lee was at the time Mr Dracula, and is still best known for his roles in the Hammer Horror films, but his portrayal of expert marksman Francesco Scaramanga helped him break away from the stereotype he’d been cast in.

Lee played a virtuoso role, and his cold, calm and collected manner shone and made him one of the most memorable Bond villains.

Bond also took on mission allies such as Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland) and Andrea Anders (Maud Adams), the two Bond girls from The Man with the Golden Gun cast. Ekland has been criticized for her role, some labelling it as a useless bimbo type, but this was typical of many damsel-in-distress Bond girls at the time.

Maud Adams’ character, Andrea Anders, was a somewhat more assured character than her Swedish compatriot Britt Ekland. It’s Anders who actually begets the movie plot as she secretly sends the golden bullet to MI6 with 007 etched on it. This starts Bond on his mission to track down and kill Scaramanga, just as Anders had hoped. Of course, they end up in bed, too.

Watch a documentary on The Man with the Golden Gun cast and movie

Scaramanga’s trusty butler and henchman, Nick Nack is another memorable character from The Man with the Golden Gun cast. Played by Hervé Villechaize, this 3-foot-11 actor lent his genius to play Nick Nack. In a short stint of an appearance, pun intended, Villechaize is able to create an unforgettable character driven by dark humour, cruelty and some light hearted relief.

Richard Loo in the role of Hai Fat was a dominant figure – a billionaire villain hanging around Hong Kong’s illegal gambling dens. The stern faced actor was typically portrayed as evil war thugs and his portrayal of Hai Fat was just as formidable, until he’s shot by Scaramanga.

Lt. Hip played by Soon-Taik Oh is another important character in The Man with the Golden Gun cast. He’s Bond’s aid while in hong Kong and Bangkok, and often gets 007 in and out of trouble, and offers his martial arts skills in times of need.

Actor Clifton James reappears as Sheriff JW Pepper after a popular part in the Live and Let Die cast. Ironically the Louisiana Sheriff is on holiday in Bangkok and gets caught up with a memorable car chase scenes towards the end of the movie where Bond races through Bangkok in an AMC Hornet against Scaramanga’s AMC Matador sedan. It’s the best chase scene in the movie, and Sheriff JW Pepper is his usual self but this time on Bond’s side.

No James Bond movie can be complete without mention of Miss Moneypenny. Played by Lois Maxwell for the ninth time, the Canadian actress cemented herself as Moneypenny yet again. She informs Bond of a belly dancer in Beirut that has a golden bullet in her navel, giving him his first lead.

Desmond Llewelyn was back as Q for the seventh time, playing a vital role alongside Bernard Lee as M (8^th time), both helping Bond complete his mission, both in important scenes in London and Hong Kong.

Overall, cast of The Man With The Golden Gun helped elevate the film to cult status even though it was panned by many critics. From Roger Moore to Britt Ekland and from Christopher Lee to Hervé Villechaize it’s one of the most renowned casts.

Watch the official trailer of The Man with the Golden Gun

Other Members of The Man with the Golden Gun Cast and Crew