22 actors who were almost James Bond – and why they missed out on playing 007

by

As a long-time Bond fan, it’s fascinating to learn about all the actors who almost played 007! It seems like for every Bond we know and love, there were several others seriously in the running. Some of them chose to move on, while others were passed over due to changes at the studio or when a previous actor became available again. It’s a history filled with ‘what ifs’ – near misses, quiet rejections, and even last-minute decisions that could have changed everything.

Over the past sixty years of James Bond movies, many actors were considered for the role but never officially became 007. These actors – including established stars and up-and-coming talents – offer a compelling look at how differently the character could have been portrayed, representing alternate versions of the iconic spy that remained unrealized.

Looking back at the early days of James Bond – the 1960s – it’s fascinating to remember a time when the series wasn’t a sure thing. Before Bond became a worldwide phenomenon, the producers were really throwing everything at the wall to find the right actor. It’s actually quite surprising to learn just how many different people they seriously considered for the role; it was a much more open and experimental search than I realized, and in retrospect, some of those near misses are pretty intriguing.

Read more: How to choose the next James Bond, with casting boss Debbie McWilliams

The 1960s

Before the first James Bond film, Dr. No, came out in 1962, Ian Fleming tried to get a Bond movie made. He wanted Richard Burton to star as 007, with Alfred Hitchcock directing and Eric Ambler writing the screenplay.

After his success in North by Northwest, Cary Grant was a potential candidate to play James Bond in Dr. No before Sean Connery was cast. However, he wasn’t officially offered the role, likely because he didn’t want to commit to making several Bond films.

By 1967, Sean Connery had starred in five James Bond movies, so producers began searching for a new actor to take on the role. Before George Lazenby landed the part, Terence Stamp said he was considered, but Stamp later revealed in 2013 that he never heard back after a first meeting.

The 1970s

George Lazenby famously played James Bond only once, in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Adam West, known for playing Batman in the 1960s TV series, revealed in 2014 that he was considered to replace Lazenby but turned down the role, believing Bond should be played by an English actor.

Burt Reynolds once said he turned down the role of James Bond because he believed a British actor was essential for the part. He told The Guardian in 2015, ‘I thought I could have done it well, but I foolishly said an American couldn’t play James Bond – it had to be an Englishman. Oops, I realize now I probably could have!’

Michael Gambon mentioned he was among several actors who interviewed with James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli after George Lazenby left the role, but he wasn’t chosen to be Bond himself.

Connery ultimately returned to the role of James Bond one last time in the 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever. Clint Eastwood later told the LA Times in 2010 that he was offered the part after Connery, but he turned it down, feeling it was too closely associated with Sean Connery and didn’t feel comfortable taking over.

During the 1970s, one of the most notable actors considered for the role of James Bond, but who didn’t get it, was John Gavin. While famous for his part in Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), Gavin actually had a contract to potentially play Bond. Producer Albert Broccoli noted in his autobiography that Gavin possessed the right look and sophistication for a British spy and performed well in a screen test, demonstrating his ability to handle action scenes.

Before production started on Diamonds Are Forever, the head of United Artists, David Picker, stepped in and demanded that Sean Connery reprise his role as Bond. As a result, Gavin, who had been cast as the new Bond, was let go without filming any scenes.

The 1980s

James Brolin experienced a similar situation to John Gavin when he auditioned to be the next James Bond. Brolin said that Albert R. Broccoli told him he’d been hired, and he even started stunt training and found a place to live for the filming of Octopussy. However, Roger Moore decided to return for one more film, and Brolin was let go – he hadn’t signed a formal contract at the time.

Sam Neill auditioned for the role of James Bond in the late 1980s, but Timothy Dalton ultimately got the part. Neill shared with CinemaBlend in 2022 that he only auditioned because his agent encouraged him, and he found the experience embarrassing. While director John Glen thought Neill’s screen test for The Living Daylights was excellent, Neill described it as “mortifying” and was relieved when he didn’t receive a callback.

I remember reading that Mel Gibson was considered for James Bond! Apparently, Jerry Weintraub, who was a big shot at MGM/UA, really wanted him and even suggested a two-movie deal. It didn’t happen, though. Mel himself has said they did talk to him about it, and he actually thought about taking the role, but ultimately decided it wasn’t for him.

The 1990s

Before becoming a famous action star with the movie Taken in 2008, Liam Neeson says he was seriously considered for the role of James Bond. However, he turned down the opportunity because his then-girlfriend, Natasha Richardson, didn’t want him to take the part. As he explained in a 2014 interview, she told him they wouldn’t get married if he did, and he valued their relationship too much to risk it.

Ralph Fiennes, who would later play M in the James Bond films, was considered for the role of 007 in 1995’s GoldenEye. He met with producer Barbara Broccoli, but ultimately didn’t get the part, and Pierce Brosnan became the fifth actor to officially play James Bond in the movies.

In a 2014 interview with The Telegraph, Ralph Fiennes said he didn’t believe he would have been a good James Bond, and that he preferred playing the role of M.

The 2000s

Over the past 25 years, a lot of actors have either auditioned for the role of James Bond or have publicly mentioned being considered for it.

I remember Hugh Jackman mentioning in an interview with Howard Stern back in 2018 that he’d been approached about playing James Bond! Apparently, the producers were considering him, but he said they were looking at a bunch of other actors – like six or seven – at the same time. Because I was already committed to the X-Men movies, it just wasn’t something I could realistically pursue, which was a bit of a shame, honestly.

Several actors were considered for the role of James Bond in the 2006 film Casino Royale alongside Daniel Craig. These included Dominic West, who revealed in 2005 that he auditioned, Rupert Friend (known later for Homeland), who screen-tested but felt he lacked the life experience to convincingly play Bond at that point in his early twenties, and Sam Worthington (Avatar), who was reportedly a finalist but didn’t think he had the right sophisticated image for the part.

Both Karl Urban and Antony Starr – who would later star together in The Boys – were considered for the role. Urban had initial discussions with the filmmakers, but couldn’t move forward with a screen test because of other filming obligations. Starr did audition, but he later described the experience as a long shot, feeling like he had little chance of getting the part.

Julian McMahon, who passed away recently, shared in 2018 that he was surprised to be thought of for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale. Meanwhile, Matthew Rhys, known for The Beast in Me, remembered his audition for the film being quite frightening. In a 2023 interview with The Times, he explained that his attempts to inject humor into the audition – even suggesting Bond could have an eye-patch and a limp – didn’t impress the film’s producers.

Henry Cavill was seriously considered for the role of James Bond back in 2005, during casting for Casino Royale. Director Martin Campbell later revealed that Cavill gave a fantastic audition, but at 22 years old, he was deemed too young for the part. Even recently, Cavill continued to be asked about playing Bond, and he did portray a similar secret agent – Napoleon Solo, a character partially created by James Bond author Ian Fleming – in the 2015 film, The Man from UNCLE.

Read More

2025-12-01 13:36