Apart from the seven actors who got the golden opportunity to portray the iconic character of James Bond on the silver screen, there are a plethora of actors, who were once close to grabbing the iconic role. With the Man of Steel star Henry Cavill being the frontrunner for the role, it seems that Charles Dance was also considered for the role of 007 back in the 80s.
Despite being the favorite for the role of 007 at the time and initially interested in the role. The Dracula Untold actor eventually decided to drop the idea of portraying the character of 007 on the big screen.
Charles Dance was convinced by his agent about dropping the idea of playing James Bond
While speaking with The Guardian, Charles Dance, known for playing the role of Tywin Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones, reflected on the occasion when he was considered for playing the role of James Bond. Following the exit of Roger Moore from the iconic role after 1985’s A View To A Kill, the Game of Thrones actor was one of the frontrunners to carry the legacy of the character forward. However, Dance revealed that his agent at the time convinced him to not take the role. He said,
“No, of course I didn’t turn down James Bond! What happened was, my agent called and said: ‘I urge you not to do it. Just think how you’ll feel if you don’t get it. It will kill your career stone-dead.’ She was probably right. If I’d got it, I would have probably fucked it up.”
But despite missing the opportunity to portray the iconic character, the Game of Thrones star doesn’t have any regrets, as Dance expressed that he didn’t see himself as the perfect actor to play Bond.
Charles Dance doesn’t regret missing the opportunity to play James Bond
Even though the character of James Bond is one of the most alluring roles in Hollywood, it does come with its setbacks. The Jurassic Park star Sam Neill expressed the risk of playing the character of James Bond. He said that no one wants to be remembered as a bad James Bond and stated that one shouldn’t run the risk of playing Bond unless they’re 150% dedicated to the role.
And in Dance’s case, the actor expressed that he is glad that he didn’t take the role of James Bond, as he didn’t believe in himself if he could pull the role perfectly and said, “would have probably f—ed it up”.
Even though Dance might be skeptical about delivering a great performance in the role of James Bond. Following his immaculate performances in several projects he has been attached to, it’s reasonable to assume that he might have ended up playing a great 007.
Source: The Guardian
