Why did Burt Reynolds refuse to play James Bond?
Many actors dream of taking on the role of James Bond. Of course, the chance to play the iconic British spy is only offered to a select few. In the 1970s, Burt Reynolds was at the very height of his fame and, having built a reputation as a Hollywood thought guy, caught the attention of Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli.
Following George Lazenby’s hasty departure after On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Broccoli was forced to look for a suitable replacement for the Australian actor. Lazenby’s performance in the 1969 film had failed to impress, so Broccoli turned to an actor he felt confident had the necessary charisma to portray Bond. Reynolds wasn’t so sure. “I thought no American could possibly play James Bond,” he told Today. “But I didn’t, and I’m, you know, still working.”
By this time, Burt Reynolds had already refused another classic role: Han Solo in George Lucas’ genre-defining space western Star Wars. Speaking to Business Insider in 2016, Reynolds explained that he “just didn’t want to play that kind of role at the time”. He would later kick himself for turning down the role, which eventually went to Harrison Ford. “Now I regret it. I wish I would have done it,” he said.
During that same interview, Reynolds revealed that his decision to turn down Bond was influenced by a strange lack of self-confidence. “I think I was putting myself down in a way,” he said, “Because I think I could have done it very well”. But even with the benefit of hindsight, Reynolds stuck by his initial call, recognising that accepting Bond would have meant being associated with the role for many years. “Once you do something like that and it’s successful you’re bound to play that part for a long time,” he continued. “I think I would have liked it. I like that kind of tongue-in-cheek humour.”
The role was eventually given back to Sean Connery, with Roger Moore taking over from 1973 to 1985. Like Reynolds, Connery had been reluctant to play Bond on the basis that it would require a great deal of commitment. In the end, of course, the film series was a huge success and made Connery a star. Reynolds may have lacked the same foresight, but his career certainly didn’t suffer as a result. He would go on to appear in 1972’s Oscar-nominated drama Deliverance, Woody Allen’s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) and 1974’s The Longest Yard. Perhaps it all worked out for the best.
