When starting production on any James Bond movie, there are certain facts that you know to be true from day one. Things like how from the first day of shooting, the world’s eyes will be trained on every choice made in the march up to release, and beyond. That particular truth was especially true when it came to the film that would commemorate the 40th anniversary of the franchise, which was discussed in a video where Halle Berry recalls her iconic Bond bikini scene, and what the Die Another Day team knew going in on that memorable moment.
In another installment of Vogue’s Life in Looks series, Berry told the stories behind 12 iconic fits she wore from 1986 to the present day. Her role as Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson, 007’s partner in his 20th adventure from 2002, was an obvious choice to include, all because of her grand entrance in a stunning orange bikini. The process to narrow down the look for that moment was as exacting as you probably guessed, as Halle Berry recounted that decision thusly:
So many bikinis and so many belts. This looks effortless, but this was a whole situation. Getting this little bathing suit right. Choosing the right color and the right fit. We had it knowing, because it was a Bond movie, it may be an iconic situation or something that would live a very, very long time.
Iconic it was, indeed; and it was partially because of Halle Berry’s star power and beauty providing Die Another Day with a Bond woman that could stand toe to toe with the Commander himself. Already at this point, the actor had become well-beloved through everything from the cult classic B.A.P.S. to the live-action X-Men films. Plus, earlier this same year, Ms. Berry won her Academy Award for Best Actress in future Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster’s drama Monster’s Ball.
Had anyone known that this would also be the final film of Pierce Brosnan’s variant of James Bond, the whole enterprise may have been a bit too nerve wracking. As it stands, the entrance of Jinx into the 007 franchise shows that all of those choices made by those in charge of Halle Berry’s bikini were well worth the time and effort. You can relive her glorious entrance, in the clip provided below:
That being said, there was probably some added pressure as the scene was also a tribute to the very first James Bond movie: 1962’s Dr. No. Jinx’s emergence from the water was one of the numerous easter eggs included to honor the then 40th anniversary of the franchise, as it was a callback to Ursula Andress’ Honey Ryder making her first appearance. The costuming is the dead giveaway, as the similarities between Halle Berry’s bikini and that of Ms. Andress are a solid connection between the two eras of Bond history, which you can spot when you see the scene that started it all:
Pairing an icon like Berry with a series like the James Bond franchise was, and still is, a choice well worth making. Though the potential Jinx spin-off never made it past the script phase, were it to spontaneously be resurrected, you could imagine how happy Bond fans might be finally seeing it happen. At this point, it’d probably have to be retrofitted into a team-up movie, as Lashana Lynch’s Nomi and Ana de Armas’ Paloma from No Time To Die are the latest 007 supporting players to make just as big of an impression on audiences. Yeah, that prospect still plays pretty well when you say it out loud.
It might even be another amazing opportunity for Halle Berry to hone her directing chops; which you can currently see on display in the Netflix original film Bruised, which is currently streaming. Should you need to catch up with the antics of Nomi and Paloma in Daniel Craig’s explosive finale to his James Bond run, No Time To Die is currently in theaters, and available for PVOD rental. But if you want to take a trip back to Die Another Day’s 2002 action-adventure romp, at the time of this writing you can stream that adventure through Prime Video and Pluto TV.
