Bob Simmons (stunt man)

Bob Simmons (March 31, 1933 - 1988) was a stunt man best known for performing the James Bond gun barrel sequence for Sean Connery in three James Bond films: "Dr. No", "From Russia with Love", and "Goldfinger". Simmons also had a role as SPECTRE agent Jacques Bouvar in the pre-title sequence of the fourth film, "Thunderball (film)". Simmons is the only person to officially perform the scene while not starring in the main role as James Bond. Up until his death in 1988, Simmons was the stunt coordinator for every Bond film except "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "The Man with the Golden Gun". Upon retirement, Simmons wrote an autobiography entitled "Nobody Does It Better" titled after the theme song for the 1977 Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me".

Simmons was a former Army Physical Training Instructor at Sandhurst who had initially planned to be an actor but thought a career in performing stunts would be more lucrative and interesting. Simmons first worked for Albert R. Broccoli and Irving Allen's Warwick Films on the film "The Red Beret" that included future Bond film regulars director Terence Young, screenwriter Richard Maibaum and cameraman, later director of photography Ted Moore. Simmons later worked in many other Warwick Films and worked for Allen in his "The Long Ships" and "Genghis Khan" where he had his eye injured when kicked by a horse. [Simmons, Bon & Passingham, Kenneth "Nobody Does It Better-My 25 Years With James Bond and Other Stories" Sterling Publishing 1987]

Simmons also developed a stunt involving a trampoline first used in "You Only Live Twice (film)" where a stuntman would bounce off a trampoline at the same time as an explosion to simulate being blown up. This was used in many other films, including by Simmons again in "The Wild Geese".

Simmons was born in Fulham, England, UK.

Filmography

*"Ivanhoe" (1952)
*"The Guns of Navarone" (1961)
*"Dr. No" (1962)
*"The Long Ships (1963 film)"
*"From Russia with Love" (1963)
*"Goldfinger" (1964)
*"Thunderball" (1965)
*"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1966)
*"You Only Live Twice" (1967)
*"Shalako" (1968)
*"The Adventurers" (1970)
*"When Eight Bells Toll" (1971)
*"Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)
*"Live and Let Die (1973)
*"For Your Eyes Only (1981)

References

Bibliography

*Simmons, Bon & Passingham, Kenneth "Nobody Does It Better-My 25 Years With James Bond and Other Stories" Sterling Publishing 1987

External links

Bob Simmons at IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799689/