A young Steven Seagal was the movie's martial arts instructor. One day, he got so angered by Sean Connery during a training session that he broke his wrist. Connery went along with that injury for a number of years, thinking it was just a minor pain.
This was not part of the film series produced by MGM and Danjaq. Executive producer Kevin McClory, who was producer and co-writer of Thunderball (1965), won a legal battle against Ian Fleming to make his own Bond movie. The settlement stipulated that it had to effectively be a remake of Thunderball.
George Lazenby was considered by executive producer Kevin McClory to play Bond, but was dropped from consideration when Sir Sean Connery confirmed he wanted the role.
Sean Connery was 52 at the time of filming, so the writers decided to make James Bond a retired secret agent. However, he was three years younger than Roger Moore when he played the still-serving Bond in Octopussy (1983).
Pat Roach: As Count Lippe, the large villain in the health clinic (equivalent of Guy Doleman's role in Thunderball (1965)). Roach is the only actor to deliver severe beatings to James Bond and Indiana Jones, having terrorized the latter in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
Amy Irving: Uncredited voice of the computer when Gavan O'Herlihy (Captain Jack Petachi) gets his eye scan.