10 Actors Who Said No To Playing James Bond

James Bond is the world’s most iconic, and promiscuous, secret agent. Based on Ian Fleming’s novels, this British spy has been wowing audiences since 1962 with his dapper style, cool attitude, and license to kill. The numbers behind Bond are impressive. The 007 franchise has produced a whopping twenty-seven films, two of which are considered non-canon (AKA films not produced by Eon Productions), and six different actors have played Bond. Each actor has put their own spin on this timeless character, leading to a fierce debate among fans over who portrayed the best Bond.

But this list of names is actually much longer than you may realize. Over 007’s 61-year movie career, there have been many, many actors considered for the role of James Bond. Some were rejected by producers. Others, however, actually declined the part themselves. Here are 10 famous actors who refused the chance to play the world’s most famous spy over the years.

10

Rod Taylor

Rod Taylor was one of the first actors considered to play James Bond. He was on the shortlist to snag the lead role in 007’s very first canonical film, 1962’s Dr. No. But Taylor turned it down, claiming that he felt like Bond’s character was “beneath him.” Talk about a bad decision, one that Taylor himself would later acknowledge.

“Every time a new Bond picture became a smash hit … I tore out my hair,” he reportedly claimed. Taylor would go on to star in several famous movies, such as One Hundred and One Dalmatians as the voice of Pongo and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. His final movie role was as Winton Churchill in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.

9

Cary Grant

Producers also considered Cary Grant for the role of James Bond in 1962’s Dr. No. And how could they not? An English actor, Grant was one of the greatest stars of classic Hollywood, a huge box office draw, and was known for his debonair demeanor and on-screen charisma. The man looked good in a tuxedo.

But Grant only wanted to do one film and felt, at 58 years old, he was much too old for the part. The lead role in Dr. No famously went to Sean Connery, who set the standard for 007. To this day, he’s widely regarded as the greatest actor to ever portray Bond.

8

Michael Caine

When Connery announced that he was done playing Bond after 1967’s You Only Live Twice, the search began for the new 007. And one of the actors in the running was Michael Caine. Many modern viewers only know Caine for his iconic roles during his twilight years, like The Muppet Christmas Carol, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and almost every Christopher Nolan film, including The Dark Knight trilogy.

But long ago, back when he was still a young British gentleman, Caine was a viable contender to play 007 in the 1969 film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. However, he passed on the opportunity. Caine had recently played British spy, Harry Palmer, in three films and was worried that playing Bond would pigeonhole him in espionage films.

7

Adam West

Michael Caine wasn’t the only actor considered for the role of Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Adam West was, too. Yes, the original Batman himself was on the shortlist to play James Bond. But West rejected the opportunity because he felt the part should be played by a British actor. Holy shocking decision, Batman!

At the same time, you have to respect how West wanted Bond to stay true to his English origins and the source material. George Lazenby wound up playing Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, his only film in the 007 franchise.

6

Michael Gambon

After Lazenby declined to return to the franchise, the second hunt for a new 007 began. Michael Gambon, best known for playing Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movie franchise, was an option to play Bond in the 1970 film, Diamonds Are Forever. He even auditioned for the part.

But Gambon passed on the opportunity, and for a pretty funny reason. According to the actor, he didn’t have “the good looks” to pull off Britain’s most debonair spy.

5

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood also came close to playing James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. Yes, that’s right. One of Hollywood’s most iconic American cowboys nearly played a British spy. Nationality aside, it makes sense that Eastwood was considered for the role. An enduring icon of masculinity, Eastwood is known for playing tough-guy characters, hardened badasses with take-no-shit attitudes — like his anti-hero cop, Dirty Harry, from the Dirty Harry franchise or his cigarillo-smoking, soft-spoken cowboy, The Man with No Name, in Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy.

But similar to Adam West, Eastwood felt that James Bond should be British and declined the opportunity. We tip our cowboys hats off to your respectable decision, sir.

4

Burt Reynolds

Clint Eastwood wasn’t the only American actor being considered to play Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. And he wasn’t the only one to reject the part because he felt like Bond should be British. Burt Reynolds, another American gem, also turned down the role for this reason. “An American can’t play James Bond. It just can’t be done,” he said. It was a big gamble for Reynolds who, despite starring in a couple of films, had not yet seen the kind of success that he would’ve gotten from playing 007. But the gamble paid off. Reynolds landed his breakthrough role in 1972’s Deliverance, and it was only up from there.

To everyone’s surprise, Sean Connery wound up returning to the franchise and portrayed Bond in Diamonds Are Forever, his final appearance in the canonical movies.

3

Liam Neeson

007 actor Timothy Dalton fulfilled his three-movie contract with 1989’s License to Kill and decided not to return to the role. Once again, the search for the new James Bond began for the upcoming 1995 film, Goldeneye. At that time, Liam Neeson had just starred in Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, Schindler’s List. Now an established star, he was a viable contender for the role of Bond.

As the story goes, Neeson refused the role because he wasn’t interested in starring in action movies. But in reality, his girlfriend and eventual wife, the late Natasha Richardson, wouldn’t have married him if he took the part. Neeson did eventually break into the action genre though, starting with 2008’s Taken. Pierce Brosnan would ultimately land the role of 007 in Goldeneye, becoming the definitive Bond for the Millennial generation.

2

Dominic West

With 2002’s Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan fulfilled his four-movie contract as Bond. Production quickly moved forward with the next film, Casino Royale, which wasn’t originally intended as a reboot. The film was actually written with Brosnan in mind. Brosnan was even in talks with Eon about reprising his role as 007. Negotiations, however, fell through when Eon decided to go a different route with the character.

Thus began the next hunt for Bond, a search that encompassed over 200 names. And one of those names was Dominic West, known for his role on The Wire and his more recent work on The Crown. West removed himself from consideration, though, when he heard a rumor that Brosnan really was planning to return as Bond. But obviously, that’s not what happened.

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1

Christian Bale

Christian Bale was another option on that 200-name list for Casino Royale. Yes, once again, Batman was in consideration to play Bond. But like Adam West, Bale also passed on the opportunity. And his reasoning was much harsher than Dominic West’s. Bale felt that the character embodied “every despicable stereotype about England and British actors.” He also said that he had “already played a serial killer” in American Psycho, implying that 007 is nothing more than a murderous lunatic.

Sure, 007 and Patrick Bateman both wear sharp suits while murdering people. But we’d say Bond is a far cry from American Psycho’s axe-wielding, Wall Street lunatic.