The Long List of Actors Who Nearly Became James Bond
Usagevpn.com – The search for Daniel Craig’s successor is approaching its decisive stage, with several actors having screen tested for one of cinema’s most coveted roles. Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor are among the names linked to the part, although the eventual choice could still be someone few viewers expect.
Whoever is chosen will inherit the tuxedo, the Aston Martin and the licence to kill. For every successful candidate, however, there is a much larger group of performers who came close but never got to introduce themselves as 007. Across more than six decades, Bond’s producers have weighed up major stars, rising talents and unexpected international names. Some auditioned repeatedly; others walked away from the opportunity.
Cary Grant and the first 007
Before Sean Connery defined James Bond on screen, Cary Grant appeared to many observers to be an obvious choice. The British-American actor had the charm, elegance and established screen presence that seemed well suited to Ian Fleming’s spy.
Grant, though, did not see a long-term future in the role. At 58, he felt he was too old to begin playing Bond in Dr. No in 1962. He was willing to consider a single film, while the producers wanted an actor who could be signed for several adventures. That difference proved decisive, opening the door for Connery to become the first cinematic 007.
After Connery: Michael Caine, Clint Eastwood and Michael Gambon
When Connery initially left after You Only Live Twice, the producers faced an unusually difficult succession question. Michael Caine was offered the chance to take on Bond in 1967, but the actor did not believe the character matched his own screen identity.
“I was always very much more ordinary. Bond was a glamorous, imaginative creation. I’ve always played real people.”
Caine’s hesitation reflected the challenge of following Connery: Bond was already a global phenomenon, but audiences closely associated the part with one performer.
Clint Eastwood was another star considered during that period. The actor chose not to accept, feeling that James Bond belonged to Britain and to Connery’s legacy.
“My lawyer represented the Broccolis, and he came and said: ‘They would love to have you.’ But to me, that was somebody else’s gig. That’s Sean’s deal. It didn’t feel right for me to be doing it.”
Connery ultimately returned for Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, delivering one final outing before the series moved on again.
Michael Gambon was also approached for that film, following George Lazenby’s single appearance in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Gambon believed he did not have the looks required for Bond and declined the prospect. Decades later, he appeared opposite Craig in 2004’s Layer Cake, shortly before Craig himself secured the role.
Michael Billington’s three attempts
Few actors had as many chances to enter the Bond world as Michael Billington. He was considered for the lead in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and Live and Let Die in 1973. Each time, the producers selected somebody else.
Billington did eventually appear in the franchise, though not in the manner he had hoped. He played KGB agent Sergei Barsov in The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. In the opening ski sequence, Roger Moore’s Bond shoots him — a memorable, if particularly unforgiving, fate for a three-time would-be 007.
Josh Brolin and the prospect of an American Bond
Roger Moore’s tenure also produced a serious challenge to the traditional idea of Bond as a British hero. After For Your Eyes Only in 1981, Moore seemed close to leaving the series, and Josh Brolin emerged as a leading contender to replace him.
Brolin completed a screen test for Octopussy, and the possibility of an American actor becoming 007 came close to reality. Moore then agreed to remain for two further films. He made Octopussy and later A View to a Kill, leaving the role after the 1985 release.
The episode demonstrates how casting Bond can hinge on timing as much as talent. An established actor’s decision to stay or leave can immediately transform the prospects of those waiting in the wings.
Sam Neill’s reluctant audition
As Moore’s departure finally became certain, Sam Neill was among the strongest candidates. The New Zealand actor auditioned for producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, while director John Glen favoured Neill for the role. Broccoli chose Timothy Dalton instead.
Dalton brought a more intense and serious interpretation to Bond, one that later viewers have often seen as a bridge toward Craig’s tougher version of the character. Neill, meanwhile, became internationally famous as Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park in 1993.
Neill later recalled that the Bond screen test was not an experience he had pursued enthusiastically.
“It was the last time that I was bullied into doing a screen test. My agent insisted that I go and do it, [saying] it would be rude otherwise.”
Mel Gibson and another near miss
Mel Gibson was also in contention during the early 1980s, when his rise through the Mad Max films had made him a major name. MGM wanted him to assume the Bond role, but the proposed casting did not come together. One version of events holds that Gibson rejected the lengthy commitment; another is that Broccoli did not regard him as sufficiently British for the part.
That uncertainty is fitting for the history of James Bond casting, where private auditions, changing contracts and last-minute decisions have often shaped the final choice. The next actor to play 007 will join a small, famous group — while adding another chapter to the far longer story of the stars who almost did.
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