The James Bond franchise is one of the longest-running film franchises in Hollywood. Starting with 1962’s Dr. No, which starred Sean Connery as Agent 007, the films have spanned sixty years with six actors to date donning the mantle. The films are known for great action sequences, and Bond’s charm.
Playing the role of James Bond is a huge responsibility as the actor has to get everything, from his Casanova personality to the suave mannerisms right. Their off-screen persona must match the character as well. Hence, to make sure that he fit the part, the producers of the series reportedly sent a girl to Bond actor George Lazenby during his auditions, to make sure that he was not gay.
James Bond Producers Wanted to Confirm That George Lazenby Was Not Gay
Actors who play the role of James Bond are immortalized in the world due to the legacy of the character and the films. Many prominent actors are fans of the character and have expressed their desire to play him. Bond is a character that exhibits suave, sex appeal, and a lot of action as well. It would be a dream role for many.
Actor George Lazenby donned the suit in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He was the replacement for Sean Connery, who left the role for the first time after You Only Live Twice. Lazenby only played the role in one film, making him the only actor playing James Bond to do so.
George Lazenby was a relatively unknown Australian model when James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli ran into him at a barbershop. He reportedly saw potential in the model and cast him as Connery’s replacement. Lazenby reportedly impressed Broccoli and director Peter R. Hunt when he accidentally punched a stunt coordinator during an audition.
Once they were convinced, however, the makers reportedly had one final test for Lazenby to make sure that he was the right man for the role. In the documentary Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of James Bond (via Daily Express), the actor revealed that the producers sent a girl to his apartment to test his sexuality,
“They sent a girl up to my apartment to make sure I wasn’t gay. A little while later they had their answer. I sure as hell wasn’t.”
After passing all the ridiculous tests, George Lazenby was finally cast as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
George Lazenby As James Bond
For George Lazenby, an unknown model at the time, playing the role of Agent 007 would have been a dream come true. The actor received training from some of the best in the business at the time. His lifestyle changed as well, as he became the guy who played 007. He revealed in the documentary,
“Suddenly I was James Bond and you can imagine what that did to me. I don’t want to brag but I had at least one girl a day…There was a tent on set where the stuntmen used to keep the mattresses they fell on in fight scenes. It was a good place to take a chick if you were in a hurry.”
However, Lazenby left the role after his one-time appearance in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The actor claimed that the producers made him feel like a mindless actor without taking any of his suggestions or ideas. He announced that he would never be playing the character again and that he had put James Bond behind him. He said in a statement to The Canberra Times,
“I much prefer being a car salesman to a stereotyped James Bond. My parents think I’m insane, everybody thinks I’m insane passing up maybe millions of pounds. Nobody believed me. They thought it was a publicity stunt. But it’s just me doing my own thing.”
Lazenby is often considered to be one of the weaker James Bonds in the franchise. Many considered him to be an unworthy replacement for Sean Connery. However, subsequent Bond actors have complimented Lazenby’s performance, and Connery himself reportedly called Lazenby’s performance noteworthy.
Source: Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of James Bond (via Daily Express), The Canberra Times
