Michael Fassbender has made a name for himself in Hollywood with his talent and versatility. Fassbender began acting in the early 2000s, primarily in European films and television shows. However, he gained international recognition for his performances in Hollywood productions such as Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class, and 12 Years a Slave.
The actor’s performance as Magneto in the X-Men franchise garnered acclaim from both audiences and reviewers. But Fassbender jokingly commented that his portrayal of Magneto was merely a stepping stone towards securing another legendary on-screen character in the form of James Bond.
Michael Fassbender Never Auditioned For Magneto’s Role
Michael Fassbender landed the role of a younger Magneto in X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn and initially played by Ian McKellen. But interestingly, he did not audition for the role directly. Instead, he obtained the part while pursuing a different acting opportunity.
“Director saw me in an audition for one of his other films and just thought that I would be right for this. So I spoke to him and he sent over the script, all top secret – somebody comes with it, waits, you read it in a couple of hours or however long it takes and then they go back with the script,” Fassbender once told IGN.
Fassbender secured the role of Magneto after a screening for the producers, even though he was originally pursuing a different job. During the making of X-Men: First Class, director Matthew Vaughn would provide Fassbender with some direction on approaching the character of Magneto. Vaughn once shared with Fassbender that Magneto reminded him of a famous 1960s character — James Bond.
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Did Michael Fassbender Ever Audition For James Bond’s Role
While Fassbender jokingly suggested that portraying Magneto could serve as a stepping stone towards landing the coveted role of James Bond, it was never his plan. Fassbender never really envisioned himself playing James Bond, as he believed his age would be a significant obstacle to portraying the character.
“I just saw it as an opportunity to do a really elaborate James Bond audition,” Fassbender joked. “I just really exploited that fact really, and one always has to worry about the next job, that’s the problem.”
Fassbender was a decade younger than Craig, which would have made him a possible candidate to play the new Bond. However, Fassbender did not concur with this idea. Fassbender expressed his opinion on who he believed would be a suitable candidate to succeed Craig as Bond rather than considering himself for the role. When Gosling’s name came up, Fassbender concurred that he could be a strong contender.
“Sure, why not? I always thought Bond should be British, but let’s get an American in. Or maybe someone like Jack O’Connell would be good? Or even better, how about Jane Bond?” Fassbender said.
X-Men: First Class is available for streaming on Starz.
Source: Cheatsheet
