20 Things You Didn't Know About Dr. No

16. No More Jack Lord

Sean Connery Dr No
MGM/UA

Jack Lord was perfect for the role of CIA agent, Felix Leiter. He embodied Ian Fleming's concept of an American agent who was Bond’s equal in every way and conveyed Leiter's chagrin that Double-0 Seven ultimately got the girl.

The filmmakers had hoped that Lord would reprise the role in Goldfinger (1964), but Lord requested a higher salary and co-star billing - something that the producers simply were not prepared to give him. This ultimately led to Cec Linder being cast in the role and, other than David Hedison and Jeffrey Wright, no other actor has played the character more than once.

Whilst Felix Leiter remains one of his most famous roles, Jack Lord went on to headline the highly successful and long-running detective drama, Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980).

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.