From Scotland caps to Bond film roles: the story of Kinnear family’s rugby link to 007

Rory Kinnear (left) chats with Daniel Craig as they film a scene on a London canal for the James Bond movie Spectre. Picture: Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock

Due out this month, the release of unfortunately-titled No Time To Die, was put back for at least seven months earlier this month, weeks before cinemas were shut as part of the lockdown effort.

Fans of the most successful movie franchise in history, the 25th of which will see the final outing as the world’s most famous superspy 007 by  Daniel Craig will have to wait, but it gives us a chance to look at the remarkable story behind a Scottish rugby link to the Bond films.

The grandfather of celebrated actor Rory Kinnear, who has played M’s chief of staff Bill Tanner in Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre and is in the new film, too, is a former Scotland rugby international who had an eventful career.

Actor Roy Kinnear (centre) at a press event in Edinburgh in 1963.

Robert Muir Kinnear was born on 2 February 1904 in Edinburgh’s Ashley Terrace. He attended George Heriot’s school and went on to feature with distinction for the Former Pupils’ club at Goldenacre as a talented three-quarter. A fine sevens player, too, Robert, who became known as Roy which would also be the name of his famous actor son, had already toured with the 1924 British and Irish Lions to South Africa before  receiving his three Scotland caps two years later against France, Ireland and Wales.

His son Roy would go on to star in TV hits such as George and Mildred, Man About the House and had movie roles as Mr Salt in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and, in another Bond connection, starred alongside Sean Connery in the critically-acclaimed 1965 prisoner of war camp drama The Hill.

The Kinnear story was recounted by former SRU broadcast manager Jim Mason in the programme notes for the 2014 Calcutta Cup match at BT Murrayfield and he recalled: “I remember I was at a sportsman’s dinner in Portobello and got talking to a guy after and he told me about it and I was fascinated by it all.

“It was something that was known about in certain circles, certainly not a scoop, but I thought it would be worth a piece. My only regret is I wasn’t able to get a quote from Rory.”

His grandfather certainly seemed to be some player and his remarkable story certainly didn’t stop with those  Scotland caps.

In 1928 he made that most controversial decision of the old amateur days and switched to professional rugby league, a move that would raise hackles amongst the “Blazerati” well on into the late 1980s and the days of Alan Tait.

In 1929 Kinnear scored a try in Wigan’s 15-2 win over  Dewsbury in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley. He also won a cap for Great Britain against Australia and went on to score 81 tries in 182 games for the famous Lancashire club. After more than a decade in the league code, Kinnear featured in The Scotsman yet again in 1940 during the early days of the war.

“SRU seven-a-side ban on R.M. Kinnear,” read the  headline.

The article explained: “An attraction has been lost to the Gala seven-a-side rugby  tournament today by the  Scottish Rugby Union ban on Heriot’s fielding their former international three-quarter Roy Kinnear. At the moment he is in the Edinburgh District… and it was hoped his appearance would swell the attendance at a tournament which is raising money for Red Cross funds.”

The story, sadly, comes to a shocking end with the news that two years later, while serving with the RAF, Kinnear collapsed and died at the age of just 38 while playing a game of rugby in England. Scotland Rugby League has since named its student player of the year award after him.

There was a famously untimely end for his son Roy jnr too. In 1988, Kinnear fell from a horse during the filming of The Return of the Musketeers in Toledo, Spain. He suffered a broken pelvis and internal bleeding. He was rushed to hospital in Madrid, but died the next day from a heart attack, brought on by his injuries. He was 54.

As well as his Bond roles, grandson Rory is also a regular on TV and an acclaimed Shakespearean actor, winning an Olivier award for his role as Iago in Othello in the 2014 National Theatre production.