JA:
Your first Bond was The Spy Who Loved Me.
What was your involvement in the tanker sequence?
GP:
We were involved in the firefight mainly. Martin Grace and myself were doing
trampoline explosions and I’m forever grateful to Bob Simmons for giving me
the chance to do my first high fall.
He
wanted a few stuntmen to jump from the gantry into the water, and I nearly
kissed his feet when he asked me if I wanted to have a go. Mind you back then we
didn’t have the technology we have today. I remember a few stunt guys being
attached to wires and jerked backwards into the water after an explosion, but
the difference between then and now was the logistics. The wires went up into
the rafters where several special effects men had attached them to blocks of
concrete. On action the concrete was kicked off the edge and the stuntmen flew
backwards into the water. Crude but effective!!
JA:
For Your Eyes Only took you to Spain
and saw you shot with Melina’s crossbow.
GP:
That’s right, I started up next to the tree with that bird, who is now married
to Robson Green I believe, Cubby Broccoli wouldn’t let me take her out first!
Anyway Bond causes a commotion by the pool and I run up to meet him. Then Clive
Curtis shouts at me to chase him down to his car.
JA:
You were really flying down that hill with all guns blazing.
GP:
I could run a bit back in those days, my knees aren’t what they used to be.
Johnny Eaves fired the crossbow and we attached it to fish wire so that it would
fly straight into my chest.
JA:
You would have met the future Bond on that picture too?
GP:
Yeah, but we just knew him as Cassandra Harris’s husband. So we were all
playing football on the beach and we told him to get lost and play
elsewhere……….all in good spirits mind you!
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| Greg
gets the point in 'For Your Eyes Only' ©1981 MGM/Danjaq
LLC
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JA:
You had an entire fight with Connery in Never
Say Never Again that was cut from the movie didn’t you?
GP:
Yes I did. We filmed it and Connery was very active during the fight. I think
Vic would probably have doubled him, but we had a tussle that ended with me
being thrown from a balcony. It was about 10ft down onto the floor and we had a
box rig set up. As soon as I hit the boxes Connery screams and jumps down after
me, totally unscripted, but good to see. I suppose they cut it out because of
time or money. Anyway I was suppose to be starting work on Octopussy but I’d said yes to this one and I don’t think Barbara
Broccoli has forgiven me since.
JA:
What about TWINE and that restaurant
sequence?
GP:
I was sat at a table with Roy Alon and Helen Caldwell waiting for my brother,
Gary, to crash through the wall, which was very exciting. Mind you we didn’t
know he was coming through when he did. Most directors will film a rehearsal so
that they can make any changes they need to for the final shot. Vic shouts
“Action”, and I thought I’d play along so I got a cheese straw to my lips
when CRASSSSSSH!! In comes Gary. Next thing I knew I was on the floor, laughing.
That’s
the great thing about the Bond movies, you're always guaranteed a good laugh!
