A number of real-life inspirations have been suggested for James Bond, the fictional character created in 1953 by British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming (1908–1964); Bond appeared in twelve novels and nine short stories by Fleming, as well as a number of continuation novels and twenty-six films, with seven actors playing the role of Bond.
Although the stories and characters were fictional, a number of elements had a real-life background, taken from people whom Fleming knew or events he was aware of. These included the spy's name, which Fleming took from the American ornithologist James Bond, and the code number—007—which referred to the breaking of a World War I German diplomatic code. Some aspects of Bond's character and tastes replicate those of Fleming himself.
An inspiration for the James Bond spy novels may have come from the writings of William Le Queux, who wrote related novels between 1891 and 1931;. As well, inspiration for the James Bond films, on the other hand, may have come from the early silent films of German director Fritz Lang, including the 1922 film Dr. Mabuse the Gambler, and the 1928 film Spione.
Origins of the name
On the morning of 17 February 1952, Ian Fleming started writing what would become his first book, Casino Royale, at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica. He typed out 2,000 words in the morning, directly from his own experiences and imagination and finished work on the manuscript in just over a month, completing it on 18 March 1952. Fleming took the name for his character from that of the American ornithologist James Bond, a Caribbean bird expert and author of the definitive field guide Birds of the West Indies; Fleming, a keen birdwatcher himself, had a copy of Bond's guide and he later explained to the ornithologist's wife that "It struck me that this brief, unromantic, Anglo-Saxon and yet very masculine name was just what I needed, and so a second James Bond was born".
On another occasion, Fleming said: "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, 'James Bond' was much better than something more interesting, like 'Peregrine Carruthers'. Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be a neutral figure—an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department." After Fleming met the ornithologist and his wife, he described them as "a charming couple who are amused by the whole joke". The ornithologist was obliquely referred to in the film Die Another Day with Pierce Brosnan's Bond picking up a copy of Birds of the West Indies and posing as an ornithologist.
Character inspirations
Dominican playboy, diplomat, soldier, polo player and race car driver Porfirio Rubirosa was the main influence for the character according to lawyer and historian Daniel J. Voelker. Rubirosa was a man who made his mark for his international lifestyle, jetsetting and massive success with women; out of his five spouses, two of them were the richest women in the world at that time. Voelker wrote that Fleming refrained from publicizing his muse for fear that racism would harm the sale of the book – Rubirosa was from mixed racial background and Fleming's audience in the 1950s and early 60s may not have been accepting of such revelation. He also wrote that out of all the rumoured inspirations for the character, only Rubirosa checks all the boxes, claiming the similarities between the two are uncanny, he brought comparisons between Fleming's and Rubirosa's lives, interests, lovers, admirers and circle of friends over a 30 year old period and all of them seem to coincide.
In other interview, Voelker stated that: "Two of the main focal points can be found through internationally famous celebrities Errol Flynn and Noel Coward. Friends with both Fleming and Rubirosa, these two lived between Fleming and Rubirosa in the Caribbean, traveled and partied with both of them and even shared a ‘love connection’ through certain well known women, including Rita Hayworth and Eva Perón." which can lead to another proof that character was inspired by the controversial man.