‘James Bond’ star George Lazenby announces retirement from acting
Many actors have taken on the prized role of James Bond over the years, but nobody played him quite like George Lazenby. The Australian star had a unique take on the British spy, becoming only the second-ever person to play the character, following Sean Connery. Now, after many decades in the industry, Lazenby has announced his retirement from acting.
Lazenby had never particularly aspired to be an actor. During his earlier years, the Goulburn-born man was working as a model, before being plucked for stardom by Eon Productions. Eon was responsible for the smash-hit that the James Bond series became after Connery debuted the role with Dr. No in 1962. Following Connery could never be an easy task, which is perhaps why the production company chose a virtual unknown.
Something of a rarity within the Bond series, Lazenby only played 007 in one film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, released in 1969. Reportedly, director Peter R. Hunt wanted to create a more realistic Bond film, as opposed to the cartoonish nature of classics like Goldfinger. The resulting movie is among the most unique entries in the Bond series, and it has amassed a cult following in the years since its release.
Following on from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Lazenby enjoyed an incredibly wide-reaching career, taking on roles in everything from Hong Kong action flicks like The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss to Italian giallo films such as Who Saw Her Die?. Although he only played Bond once, Lazenby would regularly take on spy roles, even voicing a Bond-inspired character in the 1996 video game Fox Hunt.
On July 25th, the actor took to social media to announce his retirement. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Lazenby shared, “This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s time to announce my retirement from work. Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today.”
Explaining his decision to step back from the industry, Lazenby continued, “It’s been a fun ride but getting older is no fun. I would like to thank my manager and friend, Anders Frejdh, for helping me since 2013 – the best representative I ever had. I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family.”
The actor concluded the announcement by writing, “My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me. George xx.”
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