Honestly, if you look back at 1985, the James Bond franchise was kind of in a mid-life crisis. Roger Moore was pushing sixty, the stunts were getting a bit campy, and the producers were desperate to prove they could still be "cool" in the age of MTV. Enter Grace Jones.
She wasn't just another casting choice. She was a hurricane. When people talk about James Bond and Grace Jones, they usually focus on how terrifyingly cool she looked in those Azzedine Alaïa outfits, but the real story behind her role as May Day is a weird mix of actual physical danger, backstage friction, and a character that basically broke the "Bond Girl" mold for good.
The Casting That Almost Happened Earlier
Most fans don't realize that Grace Jones was actually in the running for a Bond film way before A View to a Kill. In her memoirs, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs, she dropped the bombshell that the producers originally eyed her for the title role in Octopussy. Can you imagine?
Ultimately, the studio got cold feet about having a Black woman as the lead villain/love interest in 1983. They went with the more "traditional" Maud Adams instead. But by 1984, the Bond team realized they couldn't ignore the zeitgeist. They needed that raw, androgynous, avant-garde energy that only Grace could bring. They basically wrote May Day specifically to capture her essence.
Why James Bond and Grace Jones Was a Cultural Collision
When production started at Pinewood Studios, the vibe was... let's say "tense." You had Sir Roger Moore, the quintessential English gentleman who loved a good prank and a dry martini, and then you had Grace Jones, who was basically a living piece of performance art.
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Moore famously didn't quite "get" her. In his own autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, he was polite but clearly baffled. He mentioned that Grace was incredibly loud and often brought a massive boombox to the set, blasting music while he was trying to nap or prep for scenes. There’s a legendary story about her bringing a dildo onto the set during their bedroom scene just to see Moore's reaction. He wasn't amused.
But that friction is exactly why the movie works.
The Eiffel Tower Jump: Real or Fake?
One of the biggest questions people ask about James Bond and Grace Jones involves that insane leap off the Eiffel Tower.
First off: no, Grace Jones didn't actually jump.
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The stunt was performed by B.J. Worth, a legendary skydiver who had to dress up in May Day’s black jumpsuit and heels. It took four years of planning to get permission from the French government to even attempt it. Worth had about three and a half seconds to pull his parachute before he would have hit the ground—or the wide base of the tower itself.
It remains one of the most legitimate, "no-CGI" stunts in movie history. But Grace sold the landing. The way she stared back at Bond from the parachute? Pure icon behavior.
Breaking the "Bond Girl" Rules
Before May Day, Bond Girls were mostly there to be rescued or to die tragically after a brief fling. May Day changed the math.
- She was physically superior: In the scene where she lifts a full-grown man over her head and throws him off a balcony? That wasn't just movie magic. Grace Jones was a fitness fanatic who actually looked like she could snap Roger Moore like a twig.
- She dominated the bedroom: There is a very specific power dynamic in their "love" scene. She is on top. She is the aggressor. In the context of 1985, this was a massive subversion of Bond’s usual "conqueror" persona.
- The Redemption Arc: She isn't just a mindless henchwoman. When Max Zorin (played by the equally eccentric Christopher Walken) betrays her by flooding the mine while she's still inside, her shift to helping Bond feels earned. Her sacrifice at the end isn't for "Queen and Country"—it's for revenge and personal honor.
That Weird Connection to Tim Curry
Here’s a fun piece of trivia for the real nerds: while Grace was filming Bond at Pinewood, Tim Curry was in the studio next door filming Legend as the Lord of Darkness. Grace used to go over to his set in full May Day gear and hang out with him while he was in his massive prosthetic makeup. Apparently, the two of them would just sit around chatting while looking like a nightmare and a high-fashion assassin.
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The Lasting Legacy of May Day
If you watch the newer Bond films—the Daniel Craig era—you can see the DNA of May Day in characters like Vesper Lynd or even Paloma. They are no longer just "the girl." They are peers. They have agency.
Grace Jones proved that a woman could be the most memorable thing in a James Bond movie without even being the lead. She upstaged Christopher Walken. She upstaged Roger Moore. Heck, she even upstaged the Duran Duran theme song, and that's saying something.
Actionable Insights for Bond Fans:
- Watch the Blu-ray Commentary: If you can find the version with director John Glen, he goes into exhaustive detail about how they filmed the Paris chase sequence. It’s a masterclass in practical effects.
- Read "I'll Never Write My Memoirs": Grace’s account of the filming is much more colorful (and arguably more honest) than the official studio press releases from the 80s.
- Check the Stunt Credits: Look up B.J. Worth's other work in Moonraker and The Living Daylights. The guy is a legend of aerial cinematography.
The partnership of James Bond and Grace Jones was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. It was the exact point where the old-school spy world met the neon-soaked, gender-bending future of the 80s. We haven't seen anything quite like it since.
Next Steps for Your Bond Knowledge:
Research the "Black and Bond" conferences or deep-dive into the costume design of Azzedine Alaïa for A View to a Kill to see how fashion was used as a narrative tool in the franchise.