[Cronos]

That's because we are used to Sean Connery. When he was cast in the role, Iam Fleming hated him, calling him a Scottish ape and felt that HIS James Bond as he wrote in his books should be David Niven

Sean Connery on Ian Fleming

It emerged recently that Fleming drew up a shortlist of seven actors for the part including Cary Grant and David Niven, but not Connery

Flming’s first choice of actor to play 007 in Dr No, the first Bond book to reach the big screen, was Cary Grant – but he was too expensive.

David Niven, James Mason, Patrick McGoohan, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton and Stewart Granger were also on his list. Niven turned down the role because he felt he was too old.

Sir Sean, who confesses he was surprised to get the part, says: “They couldn’t afford most of the people they wanted. That was the start. They were seeing people, they were advertising in the papers. Then they brought me in to see them and they wanted me.”

Sir Sean’s performance won Fleming over and in later books he gave 007 a partly Scots ancestry

[JBW1949]

Be that as it may, Sean Connery fit my mental image of Bond when I first started reading Bond books in the early ‘60’s...

[JBW1949]

Niven turned down the role because he felt he was too old

He played Bond in Casino Royale...