
14/03/2025
During the production of *From Russia with Love* (1963), Robert Shaw, Pedro Armendáriz, and Ian Fleming were captured together in what became a rare behind-the-scenes moment in Bond history. Shaw, portraying the ruthless SPECTRE assassin Red Grant, delivered one of the franchise’s most intense and memorable villains, engaging in a brutal and claustrophobic train fight with Sean Connery’s Bond.
Pedro Armendáriz, who played the charismatic and loyal Kerim Bey, was a standout in the film, bringing warmth and humor to his role as Bond’s Istanbul-based ally. Tragically, Armendáriz was terminally ill with cancer during filming and took on the role knowing it would be his last. His performance remains one of the most beloved supporting characters in the Bond series.
Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, visited the set and interacted with the cast, observing his novel come to life. As one of the last Bond films released before his passing in 1964, *From Russia with Love* was said to be one of his favorites, capturing the Cold War intrigue and espionage he originally envisioned. The presence of these three men—Shaw, Armendáriz, and Fleming—represented the perfect blend of thrilling action, compelling storytelling, and the literary legacy that shaped the world of James Bond.