The James Bond franchise has been iconic ever since its inception in 1962 with Dr. No. With a plethora of actors portraying and replacing the role of Bond, there were several actors who did not get a callback.
Amongst them, was the iconic DC actor Terence Stamp who did not get a callback. Due to a certain idea, the actor revealed that he did not get a second chance at replacing Sean Connery. The idea was both hilarious and intriguing at the same time with Bond wielding a katana and posing as an ancient Japanese warrior!
When Terence Stamp Was Rejected For James Bond
Most notably known for his role as the villainous General Zod in the 1980 film Superman II, Terence Stamp was hailed by the public for starring in such an iconic and nefarious role. Before Superman II, however, Stamp had auditioned for other roles before and one of them was James Bond.
In 1967, Sean Connery retired from the James Bond franchise, and the search for a new Bond ensued. With the rule that British or English actors should be given first preference for the role of Bond, Terence Stamp was taken out to dinner by producer Harry Saltzman. In an interview with the Evening Standard Terence Stamp revealed that he was heartbroken upon hearing the news that he wasn’t selected for James Bond because he really loved wearing a suit.
“Like most English actors, I’d have loved to be 007 because I really know how to wear a suit. But I think my ideas about it put the frighteners on Harry. I didn’t get a second call from him. He took me out for dinner at the White Elephant in Curzon Street. He said, ‘We’re looking for the new 007. You’re really fit and really English.’”
Terence Stamp further continued,
“I was very shocked but I thought it was great. ‘The fact is,’ I said, ‘Sean has made the role his own. The public will have trouble accepting anyone else. But in one of the books it starts with him disguised as a Japanese warrior. If we could do that one, I could start the movie in complete Japanese make-up. By the time it came off they are used to me a little bit. I would love to do it like that.’ He wasn’t impressed.”
Harry Saltzman wasn’t impressed after all since the DC actor did not get a second call. After various roles and movies, Terence Stamp took a temporary break from Hollywood and went to stay in an ashram in India.
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Terence Stamp Adapted A Nomadic Lifestyle
Due to certain circumstances, the actor decided to let go of his Hollywood career and move to an Ashram in India for a while. Talking to the BFI Southbank (via Evening Standard), the actor revealed that he found London a bit costly to live in.
“It has made the kind of life I lead a lot easier. My taste is so far in excess of my earning capacity, so I can’t afford the kind of place I’d like to live in London. The films I love to do don’t equip me to live in the kind of house I’d like. So it’s good that I have a philosophy on it.”
Terence Stamp is often seen returning to the big screens with his recent appearances in movies like Murder Mystery, His Dark Materials, and, Last Night in Soho. Stamp regrets not being selected for the role of James Bond to this day!
