He almost played James Bond: Skye du Mont is 75 years old

Sky du Mont’s real name is Cayetano Claudio Marco Neven du Mont, and he was born on May 20, 1947 in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. He got his nickname from his brother. Because he always misunderstood the name and always put an “S” in front of the abbreviation Cay – that’s how Sky originated.

His mother is British and of the Dumont publishing dynasty, his father is German. After his parents divorced, Du Mont went to the United Kingdom with his mother and grew up there. Later, however, there is a break with the traditions of his youth, he wants to become an actor. His mother refused it, as he once mentioned in “Zeit”.

Against the will of the mother

In the end, du Mont ended up in Munich without family support, attending drama school from 1969 to 1971 and, according to his own statements, keeping his head above water with part-time jobs. The career begins with the first participations in theaters in Berlin and Munich. Since the mid-1970s, the tall du Mont has been receiving increasing roles in film and television. His film debut followed in 1976 in the German Heimatfilm “Das Schweigen im Walde”, and in the same year he also played a role in the Hollywood film “Boys from Brazil”.

Even before that, there’s a potentially defining phase in his career: he’s being discussed as a candidate to succeed Sean Connery as “James Bond” in the blockbuster movie series, and around the same time there’s a demand for a take on the role of “Dracula.” He rejects Dracula, but is eventually labeled “James Bond” because he is still too young. “Now that I’m about 75, I’m happy about it – I was 23 and not happy.” James Bond’s massive fame could have “spoiled him a bit” in his early twenties.

As an artist, du Mont appeared alongside Nicole Kidman in 1999 in the Hollywood movie “Eyes Wide Shut”, Stanley Kubrick’s last film. He himself calls it a “great moment”. However, in Germany, he is still mainly committed to the role of an arrogant villain in the TV series. In 2001, “Der Schuh des Manitu” was followed by another success on the big screen.

However, at times, Du Mont, who has been married four times and has three children from two marriages, shows that he does not always feel protected. In addition to film and television productions, he writes books, has also become politically active and publicly supports the Free Democratic Party in his adopted home of Hamburg.

For a long time, du Mont suffered from old age. He recently said that it wasn’t until he turned 70 that “one door opened and another closed.” He gave up many things, but he “become more free”.