LONDON — 007, Her Majesty's secret agent, or just plain, "Bond — James Bond," celebrated 45 years as a big screen hero on Friday. Dr. No, the first of Ian Fleming's novels about the smooth-talking British spy to be made into a movie, was released in 1962. "James Bond is not just a film about a British spy, it is much more — it's about delivering a dream," Ceri Thomas, a BBC journalist and Bond researcher said, adding that the series could continue for 10-20 years more.

He said the James Bond series is a phenomenon that unites three aspects — fast cars, exotic spy gadgets and beautiful women. Since 1962, the 21 Bond films have grossed more than $4 billion worldwide. Six actors have portrayed agent 007: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. Each of them, sometimes subtly, sometimes not, changed the character, adding something of his own. "Bond has changed dramatically over these 45 years. Initially, Connery's hero was hard and sometimes brutal," Thomas added. "Over time, Bond has become more charming, humane and even soft-centered."
He also commented that there was a period when the British spy was not taken seriously, the films were full of humor and the agent became a comic figure. However, recent films, including Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig as James Bond, have seen a return to a more complicated character — shrewder and more hard-line. James Bond, named after an American ornithologist, was created by Fleming while on holiday in Jamaica in 1952. Fleming said he wanted a plain-sounding name for his character, something that would reflect his anonymous and neutral nature as an instrument of MI-6.

In 45 years, agent 007 has been all over the world — from Russia to Jamaica, from the U.S. to the Amazon. Many of his catchphrases have entered the global lexicon, and his favored vodka martini cocktail has become a cult drink. Audiences have also fallen for his supporting characters, such as Miss Moneypenny, his charming and witty secretary.