The actor who turned down the chance to be the first James Bond: “He never regretted it”
Only six actors have played James Bond in official movies in more than 60 years, plus the two who brought 007 to the screen in films that weren’t part of the franchise, which inevitably means that more people have turned down the role than played it.
Two of them even had the chance to embody 007 before they finally got around to it, with Timothy Dalton knocking it back twice because he thought he was too young, while Pierce Brosnan patiently bided his time for the better part of a decade after his commitments to Remington Steele ruled him out.
Even though the character has become a staple of cinema and an icon of pop culture, there are still people who don’t want to carry the baggage associated with Bond. Hugh Jackman didn’t want to be MI6’s finest agent and Wolverine at the same time, Rupert Friend was reluctant to dedicate so much of his fledgling career to the role, Mel Gibson didn’t want to be typecast, and Burt Reynolds was too American.
It’s an indelible piece of 007 mythology that Cary Grant was the preferred candidate to headline Dr No, and he would have signed on were he only obligated to make one film. Instead, the ‘Golden Age’ icon, who was already in his mid-50s at the time, politely declined if a multi-picture contract was the only choice.
It’s also woven into the fabric of the franchise’s history that Ian Fleming wasn’t sold on Sean Connery, describing him as an “overgrown stuntman” who didn’t resemble his vision for his literary creation at all. Of course, the author was proven wrong, and the Scotsman used Bond as the launching pad for the rest of his stellar career.
However, one of the major reasons why the offer even landed in front of Connery was because Stanley Baker turned it down. The Welsh actor had dozens of credits to his name dating back to the 1940s and was vastly more experienced than the man who ultimately claimed the part, and he was roughly the same age as his co-star in 1957’s Hell Drivers. Much like Grant, though, the prospect of tying himself down for years didn’t appeal.
“He didn’t fancy committing himself to five years on either project,” Baker’s widow, Ellen, told Wales Online. “Stanley was offered a three-film, five-year deal by Cubby Broccoli to do Bond. Stanley didn’t want to be tied down. He never regretted it. He thought Sean Connery the perfect choice.”
Baker maintained a prolific career in film and television until his passing in June 1976 at the age of 48 and didn’t waver from his position that he never felt like he’d missed out on a life-changing opportunity by turning down Bond. Only he knew if that was true, but his loss turned out to be Connery’s gain.
