Why did Clint Eastwood turn down the role of James Bond?
In the late 1960s, the James Bond franchise was in crisis. Sean Connery was becoming more and more unhappy shouldering a multi-million dollar property, the producers were less tolerant of his escalating demands, and the films were becoming increasingly complicated and stuffed with big-name directors, writers, and crew members. Following You Only Live Twice in 1967, Connery quit. He was no longer on speaking terms with Bond producer Albert Broccoli and was unhappy with how much promotion he had to do for each film. He also felt that the distribution of profits was weighted against him.
Hundreds of actors were considered for 007 when it became clear that Connery meant what he said about walking away from the role. Even English actor Terence Stamp met with Broccoli at one point. However, it was a non-actor who finally landed the part. George Lazenby was an Australian model when he took the most coveted role in show business, and he’d never acted in a film before. Lazenby was offered a hefty salary in return for committing to several films, but following On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969, he quit, too.
This sent the producers into yet another tailspin. They were so desperate to keep the franchise going, it seems, that they were even willing to reach out to non-British and Commonwealth actors. One of the stars they reached out to was none other than the Man with No Name himself, Clint Eastwood. In an interview years later, the actor talked about why he turned down the biggest role in Hollywood.
“My lawyer represented the Broccolis, and he came and said, ‘They would love to have you,'” he said. “But to me, well, that was somebody else’s gig. That’s Sean’s deal. It didn’t feel right for me to be doing it.”
Even though Connery had left the role with a chip on his shoulder and had vowed never to return, Eastwood wasn’t interested in following in his footsteps. Perhaps Lazenby’s quick exit had also spooked any future stars about taking over the role. Connery had personified 007 in five movies, and jumping into the character wasn’t as simple as donning a tailored suit and reading the lines.
Another reason Eastwood wasn’t keen on taking over was the fact that he was about as American as they come. “I thought James Bond should be British,” he said, no doubt foreshadowing the response that moviegoers would have had if he’d accepted the part. “I am of British descent, but by that same token, I thought that it should be more of the culture there, and also, it was not my thing.”
Staying in his lane is one of Eastwood’s greatest instincts as an actor and filmmaker. It’s allowed him to have a career so illustrious that his versatility is rarely questioned. If you’re churning out hit western after hit western, who cares if the range isn’t there? The Dirty Harry star never looked back on his decision to turn down Bond, and his career clearly didn’t suffer as a result.
The person who did look back was Sean Connery, who returned in 1971 for Diamonds Are Forever and again in 1983 for the unsanctioned side project Never Say Never Again, which prompted him to say never again to the role… again.
