James Bond: Gay hint was almost cut from Skyfall, says film's producer

A film producer from the James Bond film Skyfall has revealed she had to fight attempts to cut a scene that hinted at Bond having a past gay experience.

Speaking as part of an Apple TV+ documentary Being James Bond, Barbara Broccoli said she fought back against bids to get rid of a scene between Daniel Craig's character and the villainous Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem.

In the famous scene, Bond is bound to a chair and caressed by Silva, who touches his neck, chest, legs and thighs.

Silva says, "You're trying to remember your training now. What's the regulation to cover this? Well, first time for everything I guess."

Bond replies: “What makes you think this is my first time?”

The scene was very significant at the time, sparking debates.

Broccoli said: “I remember we were told to cut that line by the studio and we said no, no, no...We resisted.”

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Broccoli also spoke about the night of the 2012 global premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the crowd's reaction to the scene.

She said: “The night of the premiere, that line, just the whole place rocked it then…I remember looking at the studio executive [and] going, ‘See, told you.'"

The latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, will finally be released in the UK on September 30, after more than a year of delays because of the Covid-19 pandemic.