Question: Why was Felix played by another actor in this movie?
Heather Benton
15th Dec 2025
The Living Daylights (1987)
Chosen answer: The Living Daylights" was the first James Bond film with Timothy Dalton as Bond. The only actors from the Roger Moore era who continued their roles were Robert Brown as "M" and Desmond Llewelyn as "Q." Younger actors were cast for other familiar characters, including John Terry, who played Felix Leiter in "The Living Daylights." He followed David Hedison, who had played Leiter in "Live and Let Die" with Roger Moore. Apparently, producers felt Terry lacked sufficient chemistry with Dalton and preferred a more recognisable actor who could convey greater emotional depth. They recast Hedison as Leiter for Dalton's second (and final) Bond film, "Licence to Kill.
6th May 2014
The Living Daylights (1987)
Question: When Pushkin wakes up after Bond pretends to kill him at the press conference, he apologises to his wife/girlfriend for putting her through the trauma. But since she was in the bathroom when Bond was there interrogating Pushkin (about Koskov etc.), wouldn't she have heard Bond and Pushkin discussing the staged assassination (after Pushkin says "Then I must die")?
Chosen answer: She could have been let go off screen once it was clear that Bond wasn't going to kill Pushkin, so they could formulate the plan in secret.
Answer: The other answer has a few errors. First of all, "Licence to Kill" followed this film, not the other way around. Second, John Terry played Leiter in this film, and was then replaced by David Hedison in "Licence to Kill." The recasting of Leiter was nothing new; Terry was the seventh actor to play him, and it was actually more unusual that Hedison was brought back; he was the first actor to play the role more than once, and the only one to do so until Jeffrey Wright took over the role in the Daniel Craig era.
Thanks. I corrected this. I inadvertently transposed the two "L" titles.
raywest ★