The James Bond franchise has a long and storied history of iconic actors who have donned the tuxedo and wielded the Walther PPK to become the legendary British spy. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, each Bond actor brought their unique charm and charisma to the role.
But what if we told you that one Hollywood A-lister had the chance to step into the shoes of the world’s most famous spy and turned it down? That’s right; Mel Gibson, the acclaimed actor and director, was once offered the role of James Bond but decided to pass on it. The reason is he has seen how Sean Connery struggled to break free of the role.
Mel Gibson Thought Sean Connery Got Stuck with the Role in the Franchise
In an interview with JoBlo, Mel Gibson revealed that he was offered the role of James Bond in the mid-1980s, following the success of Mad Max and Gallipoli had made him a big star. However, he turned it down.
Gibson admitted:
“I got offered the James Bond movies when I was like twenty-six, which is like forty years ago, okay? And they said, hey, we want you to be the next James Bond. And I thought about it; I was in Australia, I was working with Peter Weir. And I did think about it, and I sort of turned it down – for that reason. Because I thought, look what happened to poor Sean, he got stuck there for like three decades.”
What the star meant was he was worried about being typecast, something that Connery didn’t really shake off until his Oscar win for The Untouchables.
Sean Connery played the role of Agent 007 in six James Bond movies before he eventually retired from the role and was replaced by Roger Moore.
Gibson was determined to avoid being typecast. He wanted to play a variety of different roles, and he didn’t want to be stuck in one franchise for years on end. Since Gibson turned down the role of Bond, the position was eventually taken up by Timothy Dalton who also portrayed Bond in two movies before giving up the part.
Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy were Almost there to Play this Iconic Role
Henry Cavill was determined to play the role of 007 at one time and for the role, even left a prominent role in another film. However, the actor’s audition did not go as he had expected. He was told by the director that he was “a little chubby” for the role of James Bond.
He said while appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast
“They told me I was close. They told me it was ultimately down to, and this is what I’ve been told, it was just down to me and Daniel [Craig], and I was the younger option. They obviously went with Daniel and I think it was an amazing choice to go with Daniel.”
However, he is still open to taking the iconic role. He told The Hollywood Reporter:
“I think it would be very exciting to have a conversation with the producers,” the actor said. “In an ideal world, I’d never have to turn anything down. Nothing is off the table. It’s an honor to even be part of that conversation.”
Tom Hardy‘s name was also there as the next potential actor to take on the role of James Bond and don his classic tuxedo.
However, it may not come true as Regé-Jean Page remains the top runner beating all others in the quest to become the next 007.
The hunt is on.
The James Bond franchise can be streamed on Prime Video.
Also Read: “That nearly killed me”: Mel Gibson Almost Died on a Movie Set Before a Stunt Double Saved His Life
