Ian Fleming
Bond creator Ian Fleming had a few things in common with his fictional character: He liked the ladies. He preferred his martinis shaken, not stirred. And he was a spy. Though he hoped for a career in the U.K. foreign office, he was turned down for a job after he failed to test well enough for placement. After a brief stint as a journalist, Fleming was recruited into naval intelligence, becoming personal assistant to Admiral John Godfrey — who may have served as one of the models for the films’ M.
Fleming wasn’t the only person associated with the Bond films to lead a double life. Harry Saltzman, renowned co-producer of the first nine Bond films, did a stint in the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA, in the 1940s. Perhaps Fleming’s novels struck a cord with the producer, who bought the rights to his books and launched the movie series just weeks before they were set to expire.
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