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Bob Simmons
Actor

Bob Simmons

31 Mar 1922Born
21 Oct 1987Died
65Age at death
21Credits

Biography

Bob Simmons (Fulham, London, England, 31 March 1923 – 21 October 1987) was an English actor and stunt man who worked in many British-made films, most notably the James Bond series.

Simmons was a former Army Physical Training Instructor at Royal Military Academy 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, which included future Bond film regulars director Terence Young, screenwriter Richard Maibaum and cameraman, later director of photography Ted Moore.

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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.

When Albert R. Broccoli began to produce the James Bond films, Simmons tested as an actor for the Bond role, but until his death in 1987, he became the stunt coordinator for every Bond film except From Russia with Love, which he joined later in the production, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Man with the Golden Gun. He appeared in the gun barrel sequence for Sean Connery in three James Bond films: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger. Simmons is the only person to officially perform the scene, while not starring in the main role of James Bond. Simmons was also Connery's stunt double. Simmons also had a role as SPECTRE agent Jacques Bouvar in the pre-title sequence of the fourth film, Thunderball.

Simmons developed a stunt technique involving trampolines, first used in You Only Live Twice, whereby stuntmen would bounce off a trampoline in concert with a triggered explosion so as to simulate being blown into the air. This was used in many other films, including by Simmons again in The Wild Geese, where Simmons also doubled for Richard Burton.

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. He died on 21 October 1987.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1983James Bond: The First 21 YearsFilm: Col. Jacques Bouvar (archive footage)
  2. 1983James Bond in IndiaFilm
  3. 1981For Your Eyes OnlyFilm: Henchman Lotus Explosion Victim (uncredited)
  4. 1979MoonrakerFilm: Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
  5. 1977The Spy Who Loved MeFilm: KGB Thug #2 (uncredited)
  6. 1976The Next ManFilm: London Assassin
  7. 1976Montana TrapFilm
  8. 1971Murphy's WarFilm: German Submarine Crewman (uncredited)
  9. 1965ThunderballFilm: Colonel Jacques Bouvar - SPECTRE #6, Jacques Bouvar - SPECTRE #6 (uncredited)
  10. 1964GoldfingerFilm: James Bond in Gunbarrel Sequence (uncredited)
  11. 1963From Russia with LoveFilm: James Bond in Gunbarrel Sequence (uncredited)
  12. 1962Dr. NoFilm: James Bond in Gunbarrel Sequence (uncredited)
  13. 1962The Road to Hong KongFilm: Astronaut (uncredited)
  14. 1961The Guns of NavaroneFilm: German Soldier on Navarone (uncredited)
  15. 1961Fury at Smugglers' BayFilm: Carlos, a pirate
  16. 1959The Great Van RobberyFilm: Peters
  17. 1958A Night to RememberFilm: Stoker (uncredited)
  18. 1958Tank Force!Film: Mustapha
  19. 1955Billete para TángerFilm: Peter Valentine
  20. 1953The Sword and the RoseFilm: French Champion
  21. 1953The Flanagan BoyFilm: Booth Man

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.