Top > Entertainment > 2007 > April > 2007-04-21

First James Bond Dies at 89

Barry Nelson, the first actor to portray the role of James Bond, died at 89. Nelson died on vacation in Pennsylvania, his wife Nansi told reporters. Nelson Portrayed James Bond in a 1954 one-hour-long television version of Ian Fleming`s "Casino Royal," which was later adapted to the silver screen and gained cult following. Nelson was the only American James Bond, which may be part of the reason for its little success. James Bond was little known, until Sean Connery, played him in "Dr. No," in 1962.

Upon finishing his studies in the University of California, Nelson was discovered by MGM studios, who hired him as a contract actor. Some of his more notable films are: "Shadow of the Thin Man," "Dr. Kildare`s Victory" and "A Yank on the Burma Road." He later went on to work on Broadway, where he played leading roles in productions such as "Seascape," "Mary, Mary" and "Cactus Flower." In 1978, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in "The Act," along side Liza Minnelli.

"He was a very naturalistic, believable actor," said his agent, Francis Delduca. "He was good at both comedy and the serious stuff." Nelson had also taken parts in "Airport" and "The Shining," as well as, appearing on television shows including: "Murder, She Wrote," "Dallas" and "Magnum PI." In recent years, Nelson and his wife have been traveling and planned to write a book of memoirs from his days in Hollywood and on stage.